ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 16. Construction has
officially begun on an industrial park in Kazakhstan’s Zhambyl
Region by Chinese company Fufeng Group, which specializes in deep
corn processing, Trend reports via Kazakh Invest.
According to a statement from Kazakh Invest, the event was attended
by the Akim (Governor) of the Zhambyl Region, Yerbol Karashukeyev;
Chairman of the Board of Fufeng Group Limited, Li Xuechun; and
Director of the Projects Department at JSC "NC "KAZAKH INVEST,"
Bauyrzhan Aitkulov.
The project is being implemented in the Shusk district and will
become one of the largest in Kazakhstan’s agro-industrial sector.
The total investment amounts to $800 million, with a planned
processing capacity of 1 million tons of corn per year.
“Attracting high-quality investments in processing and high
value-added production is a key part of Kazakhstan’s economic
agenda, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs plays a systematic role
in this process. The Fufeng project is a clear result of
comprehensive inter-agency collaboration — less than a year passed
from the first negotiations in Shanghai to the laying of the
foundation stone. This means $800 million in direct investment and
1,500 new jobs. It's important for us not just to attract capital,
but also technology, to improve workforce qualifications and ensure
sustainable integration of investments into the regions, into real
sectors, and into people’s lives,” said Deputy Minister of Foreign
Affairs of Kazakhstan, Alibek Kuantyrov.
The project’s infrastructure includes a plant for the production of starch-based sugar, three amino acid fermentation facilities, and a wastewater treatment station. In the future, production of chemical components such as hydrochloric acid and liquid ammonia is planned. Products will be exported to the European Union, North Africa, and the Middle East. Fufeng Group also plans to establish long-term cooperation with local farmers, providing them with fertilizers, modern agricultural technologies, and guaranteed purchase agreements through offtake contracts.
“The project in Kazakhstan will become an important part of our global strategy. Our plants in China serve the Asian market, our U.S. facilities supply North and Latin America, and the future plant in Zhambyl Region will be geared toward Europe,” said Li Xuechun, Chairman of the Board at Fufeng Group.
According to Kazakh Invest, the project’s implementation showcases the effectiveness of a targeted investment attraction approach introduced by KAZAKH INVEST in 2024. As part of this strategy, four priority areas were identified, including deep grain processing. The Kazakh side conducted a thorough sectoral analysis, identified competitive advantages, and worked purposefully with potential investors. Fufeng Group became the first major project implemented under this approach.
“This project will not only provide a strong economic boost but also play an important social role for the entire region. In addition to jobs at the plant itself, Fufeng will purchase raw materials from local farmers — offtake contracts have already been signed with Kazakh agrarians for the supply of 300,000 tons of corn in 2025. The future plant’s products will be used in the agro-industrial complex, as well as in the food, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries. Lysine, monosodium glutamate, xanthan gum, and other components are in demand both domestically and abroad — in livestock farming, food production, animal feed, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. We expect this project to become the sustainable core of a new processing ecosystem in the country’s agro-industrial complex,” said Yerzhan Yelekeyev, Chairman of the Board of JSC "NC "KAZAKH INVEST".
It’s worth noting that the agreements for the project’s implementation in Kazakhstan were reached during meetings between Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov at the KGIR-2024 forum and during visits to Shanghai.
The first phase of the project is scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2025, with the plant expected to reach full capacity in 2026. The project will produce high value-added goods such as lysine, monosodium glutamate, xanthan gum, and feed-grade amino acids - products that are 10–15 times more valuable than the raw materials used to make them.
Fufeng Group is the largest privately-owned producer of monosodium glutamate and the second largest producer of xanthan gum in mainland China. Their offerings encompass flavor enhancers, xanthan gum, fertilizers, starch, and sugar substitutes. The company was established in 1999 and is based in Binzhou, Shandong Province, China.
