Turkish company to build greenhouses in Kazakhstan

According to the Kazakh Invest national company, Alarko, one of the largest holdings in Turkey, is going to invest about $650 million in the agro-industrial complex of Kazakhstan over the next five years.

Alarko has already signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan. Under this arrangement, the company will build greenhouses on a territory of 500 hectares. The start of construction is scheduled for the end of this year, while the first facilities will enter into operation next year.

Representatives of Alarko are expected to visit the southern regions of Kazakhstan in order to choose a suitable place for future greenhouses. Once the investor has chosen the right place, the Ministry of Agriculture will prepare a roadmap for the project to «provide it with all the necessary conditions and comprehensive support.»

Alarko is one of the largest industrial holdings in Turkey with interests in sectors like energy, tourism, construction, agriculture and trade. Last year, the company started investing in greenhouses to grow crops. Environment protection advocates accuse the holding of neglecting nature. They said that the coal-fired power plant in Turkey’s Cenal (Alarko owns a stake in the power station) produces about 1% of the total amount of greenhouse gases emitted by the entire Turkish industry.

Kazakhstan is eager to develop cooperation with Turkey in the agriculture sector. Last year, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Agriculture Yerbol Karashukeev and his Turkish counterpart Vahit Kirişci discussed the possibility of exporting Kazakhstani food products to Turkey and processing Turkish raw materials at Kazakhstani facilities. In December 2022, Ankara and Astana agreed to establish a plant genebank in Kazakhstan.