In the village of Kasymbek Datka, located in the Turkestan region of Kazakhstan, a new agricultural project has begun producing bananas. In December 2024, the farm harvested its second crop of the year, thanks to the first banana greenhouse in Kazakhstan and the CIS.
Kasymbek Datka, with a population of around 4,000 people, wasn't known for large-scale agriculture until GenGroup Qazaqstan built the banana farm in 2023. The farm covers 5 hectares and is situated about 25 km from Shymkent. The total investment for the project was nearly 2 billion tenge (about 3.66 million euros).
By the end of 2024, the farm was expected to gather 400–450 tons of bananas. The first harvest, in March 2024, produced 385 tons. The bananas are sold in Almaty and Shymkent, covering about 5% of the demand in these cities. They are priced at 600-650 tenge per kilogram (about 1.10–1.19 euros), which is cheaper than Ecuadorian bananas, which are sold at a higher price due to transportation costs.
Despite challenges such as colder weather, the farm is producing bananas and plans to expand.
In the coming years, GenGroup Qazaqstan plans to build three more greenhouses, increasing the total area to 15 hectares. They also plan to grow other crops such as mangoes, avocados, and tomatoes. With an investment of over 10 billion tenge (about 18.3 million euros), the project is expected to pay off in five years.
Source: kz.kursiv.media