There are plans to increase production of (beet and cane) sugar from 283 thousand to 490 thousand tons in the middle term, Yerbol Karashukeyev, Kazakh agriculture minister, said, Azernews reports, citing Kazinform.

According to Yerbol Karashukeyev, work has been launched to construct a sugar plant with a capacity of 150 thousand tons of sugar per year in the territory of the agro-industrial park in Aksu city, Pavlodar region, in order to ensure food security, increase sugar production, and reduce import dependence.

«For the development of the raw material base, experimental cultivation was carried out on three farms in 2019-2021, with the beef sugar content reaching 14%. Work is ongoing with foreign companies such as Calik Holding, YDA Group, Champion Foods, Murban, Rusagro, Inoks Capital to attract investors to construct a plant with experience and expertise in production of sugar,» said the minister.

Minister Karashukeyev went on to add that there are plans to increase production of (beet and cane) sugar from 283 thousand to 490 thousand tons in the middle term.

Sugar production is to be increased from 33 thousand to 250 thousand due to an expansion of cultivated area from 12 to 38 thousand, with domestic supplies rising from 51% to 83%.