Kazakhstan-based transformer manufacturer Alageum Electric will sign an agreement to purchase goods not yet produced with KEGOC, Chair of Alageum Electric’s directors’ board Yerkebulan Ilyasov told the energy forum. This year, the company is launching production of power transformers with a voltage class of 220 to 500 kilowatts in Shymkent’s Tassai industrial zone, abctv.kz reports. Their initial customer will be KEGOC, but Kazakhstan Railways and Samruk Energo are also interested in engaging in similar contracts. According to its agreement with KEGOC, Alageum Electric is planning to produce four types of reactors not previously produced in Kazakhstan for a cost of 4 billion tenge (US$10.70 million) until 2022.
Kazakh local flax producers have seen a record harvest this year, making Kazakhstan, for the first time, the world’s largest flax producer, reports abctv.kz. The gross harvest of flax in Kazakhstan this year exceeded 700,000 tonnes. Local producers are also developing the production of flax oil and are competing against Russian producers on the international market for the product. Kazakhstan is also competing with Canada, the largest flax importer in the world, on the Belgian market. According to statistics from the Kazakh Finance Ministry’s State Revenue Committee, from January to August, Kazakhstan’s flax exports to Belgium amounted to 99,000 tonnes for $31.8 million. Poland is the second largest buyer of Kazakh flax, purchasing 39,000 tonnes for $12.3 million. The third is Afghanistan, at 27,000 tonnes for $8.4 million. Overall exports for this period amounted to 219,000 tonnes for $72 million.
Artisans from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Germany and Uzbekistan discussed the problems and prospects of the crafts industry at the Nov. 24 Uly Dala Eli (“Great Steppe Country”) forum in Astana, reports kapital.kz. Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs Deputy Chair Olzhas Ordabayev emphasised that craftsmen should unite to develop the sphere, giving the example of the artisans unions of Tajikistan and Russia, which in the former unites more than 100 artisans and in the latter unites 70 associations of more than 5 million artisans. In his opinion, Kazakhstan has potential to develop its handicrafts industry as well. The meeting of folk arts representatives was intended to help promote the business potential of the industry and individual producers, and masters attending the forum could both present their products at the exhibition and also make contact with potential partners for expanding their businesses locally or for entering the international market.
Turkestan Invest has begun work on the implementation of 19 major new projects for 507 billion tenge (US$1.35 billion) in the Turkestan region, reports inform.kz. According to Chair of the Turkestan Social Entrepreneurship Corporation Aitmuhammed Aldazharov, the organisation has three branches: Turkestan Invest, the Digitisation Centre and the Stabilisation Fund. These organisations are working on construction, social projects, tourism, attracting investors and digitisation. Among the 19 projects, six are in alternative electric energy production, five in agriculture and eight in the manufacturing industry. Construction of four enterprises began this year. These projects should provide people with 14,000 new jobs.
North Kazakhstan’s agricultural potential is to be developed by increasing its livestock on the principle of anchor cooperation, in which small and medium-sized farms work in partnership, inform.kz reports. Deputy Akim (regional governor) of North Kazakhstan Aidarbek Saparov said that long-term investment programmes are being developed with representatives of agriculture business. This year the number of livestock and poultry in the region has grown from 1.5 to 8.7 percent. About 80,000 tonnes of meat in live weight, 503,000 tonnes of milk and 681 million eggs have been produced. More than 40 breeding (livestock) reproducers have been created based on the imported livestock. Every year the region has 4,000 heads of young livestock. Seventeen modern dairy complexes using foreign advanced technologies are functioning in the region.
