BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 12. Iran’s Solico Group will invest 35.2 billion tenge (about $72.2 million) in the construction of a large cheese production plant in Kazakhstan.
This was reported by the Ministry of Agriculture following the signing of an investment agreement for a deep milk processing project between Kazakhstan’s Minister of Agriculture, Aidarbek Saparov, and Gholam Ali Soleimani, President of Iran’s Solico Group.
According to the ministry, the new cheese production plant, with an annual capacity of 155,000 tons, will be established in the Almaty region. Construction and installation works are already underway, with the total investment amounting to 35.2 billion tenge (around $72.2 million).
The ministry informs that, in a meeting with the Iranian side, Minister Saparov emphasized that attracting strategic investors into agricultural processing is 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 products in agriculture and creating high-value-added production. The dairy industry has significant growth potential. In 2025, cheese and cottage cheese production in Kazakhstan increased by 13.1%,” the minister said.
He noted that the project will significantly expand the country’s processing capacity and create a guaranteed sales market for domestic milk producers. The government is ready to provide comprehensive support to investors implementing priority projects.
Gholam Ali Soleimani said Kazakhstan has strong potential as a regional food production hub and expressed interest in expanding the company’s investment presence in the country.
“We view Kazakhstan not only as a platform for a single project, but as a long-term strategic partner. The country has strong agricultural potential, a favorable geographic position, and an attractive investment climate. Alongside the cheese plant, we are also exploring opportunities in potato processing and baby food production,” he said.
The investment agreement includes a wide package of state incentives, including the provision of necessary engineering infrastructure to the production site.
The completion and commissioning of the plant are scheduled for 2029. Under the agreement, the investor will create at least 400 permanent jobs, provide training for Kazakh specialists, and transfer modern production competencies and technologies.
In addition, from 2028 to 2038, the company plans to allocate around 50 million tenge (about $102,000) annually to social initiatives and local community support in the Almaty region.
The project is expected to become one of the largest in Kazakhstan’s dairy processing sector, contributing to the development of the raw milk base, increasing demand for domestic milk, expanding the range of locally produced products, and strengthening the country’s food security.
The agreement builds on commitments reached under a framework cooperation agreement signed in December 2025 during the visit of Iran to Kazakhstan.
Conversion is calculated using the official exchange rate of the National Bank of Kazakhstan as of June 12, 2026 (1 USD = 487.76 KZT).
