Tramite Group, an Italian business aggregator, is making a significant $100 million investment in Kazakhstan's agricultural sector, specifically to establish a large-scale tomato processing operation.
This initiative will be carried out in partnership with Kazakhstan's Agriqa Farms LLP within a new agro-industrial cluster located in Shardara, in the Turkestan region.
The project is slated to begin in May 2025 with the construction of a 22-hectare greenhouse complex. This initial phase will be followed by the development of a tomato paste processing plant with an impressive planned capacity of 3,360 tons per day. Further expansion is anticipated in 2026, including the implementation of drip irrigation systems across 8,000 hectares of farmland. The broader complex will also feature facilities for alfalfa granulation, as well as fruit and vegetable drying and freezing.
Gianantonio Tramet, founder of Tramite Group, met with Kazakhstan's Minister of Agriculture, Aidarbek Saparov, to finalize the plans. Tramet highlighted Kazakhstan's favorable climate for producing high-quality agricultural goods as a key factor in their decision. Notably, Italy currently imports around 180,000 tons of tomato paste annually, and Tramite Group sees this venture as an opportunity to potentially shift some of that production to Kazakhstan and other Central Asian nations.
Kazakhstan's government, under President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, is actively encouraging foreign investment in agricultural processing, with a national goal of processing 70% of its agricultural output. Minister Saparov welcomed Tramite Group's investment and assured them of comprehensive government support for this Kazakh-Italian enterprise. This collaboration also reflects the European Union's increasing engagement in Central Asia, adding a geopolitical dimension to the economic partnership.
Sources: SpecialEurasia, The Times of Central Asia
