ASTANA, Kazakhstan, February 20. Mars, a U.S.-based company, plans to build a pet food production plant in the city of Alatau in Kazakhstan, enabling deep processing of agricultural raw materials and the manufacture of high value-added products, Trend reports via the press service of the Kazakh president.
The project was discussed during a meeting in Washington between President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and Mars Chief Executive Officer Poul Weihrauch.
The initiative is being implemented under an investment agreement between the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan and Mars worth approximately $180 million. Tokayev emphasized that the signing marks the beginning of an important partnership and reflects the high level of Kazakh-American cooperation.
According to Weirauch, the project will serve as a strong platform for Mars to expand its production capacity and market presence in Central Asia and neighboring regions.
In fact, Kazakhstan imports pet food mostly from Russia ($88.1M), Germany ($8.67M), Poland ($8.45M), China ($4.36M), and France ($4.06M). Global companies like Mars Petcare (Pedigree, Royal Canin, and Whiskas) and Nestlé Purina control 80% of the market.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev paid a working visit to Washington, D.C., on February 19-20, where he took part in the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace.
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