Conference "Developing Greenhouse Farming in Kazakhstan: Success Stories and Current Business Opportunities"

On 3 April 2023, Green Capital Kazakhstan LLP in Aktobe hosted a conference on "Developing Greenhouse Farming in Kazakhstan: Success Stories and Current Business Opportunities." The conference's main organiser was the BeNeLux Chamber of Commerce in Kazakhstan, with support from the Dutch greenhouse company Delta, FoodVentures, the Kazakhstan Greenhouse Union, and the Embassies of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Central Asia and of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The conference was attended by Mayor of the Dutch region of Westland Bouke Arends, for whom this was his first visit to Kazakhstan, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Kazakhstan André Carstens, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Kazakhstan Henri Vantieghem, BeNeLux Chamber of Commerce President Denis Van den Weghe, Director of the Dutch greenhouse company Delta Miriam Bokesteijn, Investment Adviser at the Aktobe Region Akimat Nurzhan Orazov, President of the Kazakhstan Greenhouse Union Nurlan Adilkhan, Managing Director of Baiterek National Managing Holding JSC Niyaz Koshkimbayev, and Director of the Crop Production and Transportation Department at the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan Azat Sultanov.

The conference was preceded by a meeting between Akim of Aktobe Region Yerali Tugzhanov and Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands André Carstens, Ambassador of Belgium Henri Vantieghem, and Mayor of the Dutch region of Westland Bouke Arends.

During the meeting, the Akim emphasised that the Netherlands and Belgium are among the leading investors in Kazakhstan's economy — in 2022, they jointly invested around $3 billion. Aktobe Region alone is home to 22 companies with Dutch and Belgian capital; last year, trade turnover with the Netherlands exceeded $443.5 million, and with Belgium $37.7 million. The Netherlands has held first place in investment volume in Kazakhstan for several years running. At the close of the meeting, Mayor of Westland Bouke Arends and Akim of Aktobe Region Yerali Tugzhanov signed a memorandum of understanding between Aktobe Region and the Municipality of Westland to further develop the environmentally friendly greenhouse horticulture sector and related industries, and to maintain ongoing contacts between investment, trade, educational and tourism institutions.

Among the Dutch companies attending the conference in Aktobe were greenhouse-sector leaders Certhon, KUBO, MJ-Tech, Ridder, Svensson and Koppert. Company representatives presented their work in panel discussions and shared experience in greenhouse construction, water resource management, climate control, lighting and crop protection.

Kazakh farmers attending the event showed particular interest in the presentation by FoodVentures, a BeNeLux Chamber member and one of the region's leading suppliers of greenhouse produce. Company Director Dirk Aleven shared methods for boosting yields, achieving a record for Kazakhstan of 82 kg (cherry tomatoes) per square metre.

The conference was held in a warm, friendly atmosphere and allowed specialists to exchange views and technological solutions for the further development of greenhouse farming in Kazakhstan, fully in line with the interests of the "Auyl Amanaty" project supporting Kazakhstan's rural population. Aktobe Region, and the country as a whole, has enormous potential for further exchange of experience with Dutch colleagues in the agricultural sector.