The Largest Cheese Production Plant with Iranian Investment to Be Built in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan’s Minister of Agriculture, Aidarbek Saparov, and Gholam Ali Soleimani, President of the Iranian food holding company Solico Group, have signed an investment agreement for the implementation of a major milk deep-processing project.

The agreement marks another step in the development of trade and economic cooperation between Kazakhstan and Iran and continues the arrangements reached under the Framework Cooperation Agreement signed in December 2025 during the visit of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Kazakhstan.

The project involves the construction of a modern cheese production facility in the Almaty Region with an annual capacity of 155 thousand tons of products. Total investment is estimated at 35.2 billion tenge. Construction and installation works are already underway at the site.

According to Aidarbek Saparov, attracting major investors to the agricultural processing sector remains one of the key priorities of state policy in the agro-industrial complex.

“The Head of State has set the task of increasing the share of processed agricultural products and developing industries with high added value. The dairy sector has significant potential for further growth. In 2025, cheese and cottage cheese production in Kazakhstan increased by 13.1%.

The implementation of this project will significantly expand the country’s processing capacity, provide domestic milk producers with a stable sales market, and create additional opportunities for industry development. The Government of Kazakhstan is ready to provide comprehensive support to investors implementing projects in priority sectors of the economy,” the minister said.

Solico Group President Gholam Ali Soleimani noted that the company views Kazakhstan as a promising platform for long-term cooperation and further expansion of its investment activities.

“We see Kazakhstan not only as a location for a single project but also as a long-term strategic partner. The country possesses substantial agricultural potential, a favorable geographic location, and an attractive investment climate. In addition to the construction of the cheese production plant, we are exploring opportunities to implement new projects in potato processing and baby food manufacturing,” he said.

The investment agreement includes a package of government incentives, including the provision of the necessary engineering infrastructure to the production site and other support measures.

Construction is scheduled to be completed and the facility commissioned in 2029.

Under the terms of the agreement, the investor commits to creating at least 400 permanent jobs, organizing training and professional development programs for Kazakh specialists, and transferring modern technologies and production expertise.

In addition, from 2028 to 2038, the company plans to allocate approximately 50 million tenge annually to social initiatives and support for local communities in the Almaty Region.

Once operational, the facility is expected to become one of the largest projects in Kazakhstan’s dairy processing industry. It will contribute to the development of the raw material base, increase demand for domestically produced milk, expand the range of locally manufactured products, and strengthen the country’s food security.