Kazakhstan Approves Major Cotton Project

Kazakhstan has approved a major investment agreement with Turkestan Cotton Agro-Industrial Complex LLP to launch a large-scale cotton cultivation and deep-processing project in Turkistan region.

The decree, signed by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, supports the President’s directives to modernize agriculture and introduce advanced technologies. The project aims to build a full production cycle - from cotton fields to finished clothing - and create the largest cotton-growing complex in Central Asia, The Caspian Post reports via Kazakh media.

Spanning 60,000 hectares in Otyrar district and Arys city, the project will generate more than 1,400 permanent and 300 temporary jobs.

Chinese company Xinjiang Lihua Group is the key investor. Over 58 billion tenge will be invested in the first stage, while total foreign investment will exceed 200 billion tenge, following earlier negotiations between Bektenov and company chairman Zhang Qihai.

The initiative will introduce cutting-edge technologies on an unprecedented scale:

196 pumping stations with high-efficiency drip irrigation

500+ km of irrigation and distribution canals

Three major pumping complexes and transformer substations

Modern tractors, harvesters, sprayers, and construction machinery

A polyethylene processing line to produce drip tape and flexible pipes

By reducing dependence on imports and establishing a closed production loop, the project aims to boost domestic processing capacity, increase output of high value-added textiles, and strengthen the country’s export potential. It will also stimulate small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in logistics, equipment servicing, and agri-processing.

Turkistan region is Kazakhstan’s traditional cotton hub, accounting for 15.9 per cent of its sown area. In 2025, the region harvested 428,000 tons of raw cotton - the highest in 18 years - thanks to widespread water-saving technologies.