Marble meat for export - the dream of West Kazakhstan farmers and large visiting investors, cannot be fulfilled.

The grandiose project in the form of a feedlot facilities, begun more than 10 years ago, has also frozen on site, starting with a scandal. Almost every year, local authorities try to attract domestic and even foreign investors here, but all for nothing, as idle complex requires too much investment, and what the outcome would be is still up in the air.

But the other day, the authorities enthusiastically reported that the feedlot complex received a new investor who was ready to bring it to production capacity.

The Crown Batys feedlot complex in the Zelenovsky district (now the Baiterek district) was pompously opened in 2010.

It was a real breakthrough project, with a big impact on the future. Delicious boxed chilled meat was supplied to the oldest Russian capital. The plans were to begin expansion to other countries. The project cost at the time of launch was more than 3.5 billion KZT, 60 percent of which were state funds received by the owners through the KazAgro fund in the form of a reimbursable loan. The capacity of the facilities is designed to contain 8,600 head of cattle. This is a very large volume, so it was assumed that local farmers who will bring their livestock here would contribute to the implementation of the project. It was planned that the company will produce up to 2000 Mt of chilled marble beef per year for exports. However, in 2011, the company produced only 427 Mt of meat. And 2 years later, a row blew up.

The project itself is unique, taking into account the fact that the West Kazakhstan region historically belongs to livestock farming areas. There are the best pastureland and a mild climate. Among the alleged investors who were ready to restore the feedlot facilities were even representatives of the Irish business community.

In 2019, a domestic investor from Karaganda was brought to the region. The new investor spoke a lot about plans to launch the enterprise by August 2019 and to begin meat supply to retail for ordinary consumers at an acceptable price. At the same time, he planned to invest 4.2 billion KZT, which should have been utilized by the end of last year. But, alas, his business was purely verbal.

New head of the region administration - akim Gali Iskaliyev began active work on finding a potential investor, JSC KazAgroProduct has come on the scene. And the other day it became known that the idle over several years Crown Batys was sold to Ak Orda Capital LLP in May of this year, which promises to invest about 4.1 billion KZT in the resumption and increase of the complex capacity.

Currently, work has begun on the feedlot complex restoration, which is now called "Yanaikino." According to the plan, in August the complex will begin to accept cattle. The company is planning to develop the feedlot complex, exporting 70% of products, and utilizing 30% of the products in sausages production, the region akimat’ s office noted.

At the same time, the company has long-term contracts on the meat and meat products exports with foreign partners. As part of this project, 160 new jobs will be created.

The authorities came up with an offer for peasant farmers to support the feedlot complex in full capacity reaching, as this is beneficial to both parties.

At the same time, new investors will have to restore the undermined reputation of Crown Batys. But the most important thing is that the investor does not turn out to be fly-by-night company, but has invested the promised funds and forces into the industry development.

Source: caravan.kz