Kazakh President, PepsiCo Chair Discuss $368M Snack Factory Progress in New York

During his official working visit to New York, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has met with Stephen Kehoe, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the PepsiCo Foundation, to discuss the progress of PepsiCo’s $368 million investment in a new snack production facility in the Almaty region.

The project is expected to create around 900 permanent jobs and significantly boost the local economy, The Caspian Post reports via Kazakh media.

A central aspect of the initiative involves localizing potato cultivation for chip production, with about 15 farms from Pavlodar, Akmola, Karaganda, Almaty, and Zhetysu regions already participating.

PepsiCo also plans to expand raw material storage capacity and introduce innovative scientific methods to enhance potato quality and crop yields.

President Tokayev commended PepsiCo’s commitment to sustainable agriculture and assured that the Kazakh government and local authorities will provide full support to ensure the timely launch of the production facility.

The meeting with Kehoe was part of President Tokayev’s broader New York agenda, which also included talks on uranium cooperation with Canadian multinational Cameco and engagements with prominent leaders from Goldman Sachs, Educational Testing Service, and the Smithsonian Institution.