Kazakhstan population's need for vegetables is six times higher than what is currently produced, Tengrinews.kz reports citing the President of Kazakhstan Greenhouses Association Kanat Koshman. He said that vegetables demand currently makes 87.7 thousand tons per year, whereas thr 2010 harvest made only 15 thousand tons. Koshman emphasized that with the current development of greenhouses the production volume might reach 30-35 thousand by the end of 2011. Kazakhstan needs 165 more hectares of greenhouses to cover the demand in vegetables. Currently the greenhouses occupy 187 hectares of lands in Kazakhstan. Starting from 2009, 28 hectares of the territory are covered with high-tech greenhouses. They are equipped with automatic devices and micro-climate. There the harvest is grown not in soil, but on artificial substrates (soilless cultivation technology). Since 2009 new greenhouses have been built in East Kazakhstan at the territory of 8.8 hectares, 3 hectares in Petropavlovsk in northern Kazakhstan, 3.5 hectares in Stepnogorsk (Astana area). 4 hectares of greenhouses are being completed in Tekeli (Almaty oblast). 5 hectares of high-tech greenhouses are being constructed in Almaty and new greenhouses already occupy 3 hectares in Aktobe. “We haven't yet reached the sufficient level to fully supply ourselves. Later we will be able to stop importing vegetables. We have sent a request to the Government to get exemption from VAT. This will help us keep the vegetable prices lower,” Koshman said. A government program aimed at promotion of investments into industry in 2009-2011 was adopted in 2008. It also included greenhouses. Under the program, KazAgroFinance allocated 18 billion tenge ($123 million). Only 7.5 billion tenge ($51 million) have been spent so far. 58 hectares of greenhouses were operating in Kazakhstan in 1998. The harvest made 1,500 tons of vegetables at off-season time. In 2008 the harvest already made 3,500 tons of vegetables. By Irina Mikhailova
Kazakhstan population's need for vegetables is six times higher than what is currently produced, Tengrinews.kz reports citing the President of Kazakhstan Greenhouses Association Kanat Koshman.
He said that vegetables demand currently makes 87.7 thousand tons per year, whereas thr 2010 harvest made only 15 thousand tons. Koshman emphasized that with the current development of greenhouses the production volume might reach 30-35 thousand by the end of 2011. Kazakhstan needs 165 more hectares of greenhouses to cover the demand in vegetables.
Currently the greenhouses occupy 187 hectares of lands in Kazakhstan. Starting from 2009, 28 hectares of the territory are covered with high-tech greenhouses. They are equipped with automatic devices and micro-climate. There the harvest is grown not in soil, but on artificial substrates (soilless cultivation technology).
Since 2009 new greenhouses have been built in East Kazakhstan at the territory of 8.8 hectares, 3 hectares in Petropavlovsk in northern Kazakhstan, 3.5 hectares in Stepnogorsk (Astana area). 4 hectares of greenhouses are being completed in Tekeli (Almaty oblast). 5 hectares of high-tech greenhouses are being constructed in Almaty and new greenhouses already occupy 3 hectares in Aktobe.
“We haven't yet reached the sufficient level to fully supply ourselves. Later we will be able to stop importing vegetables. We have sent a request to the Government to get exemption from VAT. This will help us keep the vegetable prices lower,” Koshman said.
A government program aimed at promotion of investments into industry in 2009-2011 was adopted in 2008. It also included greenhouses. Under the program, KazAgroFinance allocated 18 billion tenge ($123 million). Only 7.5 billion tenge ($51 million) have been spent so far.
58 hectares of greenhouses were operating in Kazakhstan in 1998. The harvest made 1,500 tons of vegetables at off-season time. In 2008 the harvest already made 3,500 tons of vegetables.
By Irina Mikhailova