Germany and Kazakhstan to launch joint cheese production
The Milkh dairy plant, located in the Kostanay region, will produce 20 varieties of hard cheese. The facility’s expansion is made possible through a partnership with the German enterprise Deutsches Milchkontor GmbH. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, a new expanded facility is expected to launch this November.
Investments in the construction of the Milkh plant amounted to $14.9 million. Once operational, the plant is expected to process up to 250 tons of milk per day, producing 2,000 tons of cheese annually. The new facility will create 35 jobs.
«Currently, the main construction and installation works are complete. The workshop’s metal framework is in place, the floor screed is finished and internal finishing works are underway. Most of the German equipment has already been delivered,» the Ministry of Agriculture pointed out.
A new facility was initially planned for launch last year, with the expectation that its products would be exported to the EU markets. This was revealed during Deputy Minister Serik Zhumangarin’s official visit to the Kostanay region in November 2023. However, it was never announced if this facility actually commenced operations. The government of the Republic of Kazakhstan stressed the need to address the issue of raw material shortages in order to successfully implement the plans, a challenge the business is already facing. At that time, milk was acquired from 12,000 private farms.
Milkh produces dairy products under the Novyi Den’ brand. Its founder and managing director is Sergey Blok. The company’s product line consists of 150 types of goods, including high-value-added ones such as hard cheese and ice cream. The new plant is being built in cooperation with German partner Deutsches Milchkontor GmbH, with more than 90% of shares owned by the German DMK Group.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev had previously ordered an increase in the processed agricultural produce share to 70% within three years. The regions are currently working on agricultural product processing development while launching new investment projects.
