The site, which has an anticipated capacity of 2,000 head per day, has been earmarked to help provide an annual agricultural economic benefit to the country well in excess of one billion US dollars.
Kazakhstan already has an established beef industry which serves the domestic population with exports to the region however the agreement with Tyson and Kusto Group is part of a broader initiative by the Kazakhstan government to expand and modernize agriculture, beginning with meat production. All parties have expressed interest in implementing the project at the Astana International Financial Centre.
Tyson Foods officials have traveled to Kazakhstan, and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Askar Mamin, and representatives from the country have been to the U.S. to visit Tyson headquarters, including one of the company’s major beef complexes. Kusto Group, based in Singapore, but founded in Kazakhstan, has an existing subsidiary with a leading position in beef production in the country.
“We are delighted to welcome Tyson Foods to Kazakhstan,” said Prime Minister Mamin. “Tyson is a world-class company with the expertise necessary to help Kazakhstan jump-start the transformation of our agro-protein capabilities and help us create an ecosystem that will increase our beef herd size and establish conditions to support thousands of new high-quality jobs in the country. We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial collaboration.”
Tyson Fresh Meats group president Steve Stouffer said: “We’re pleased to execute an agreement with the Government of Kazakhstan and partner with Kusto. This opportunity supports one of our growth strategies to expand Tyson’s global business, and we look forward to bringing our expertise and capabilities to the country of Kazakhstan.”
“At Kusto, we believe in the tremendous potential of Kazakhstan to transform into a global agricultural player, helping provide first class products for consumers around the world,” added Yerkin Tatishev, chairman of the board of directors at Kusto Group. “Together with Tyson Foods, we are taking a first step in that direction today with our beef operations and look forward to getting underway.”