Kazakhstan's Mangystau Region and Turkmenistan's Balkan Province are expanding agricultural cooperation under a 2025 trade agreement. One priority is the seasonal supply of fresh produce from Turkmenistan to Kazakhstan, facilitated by new logistics and storage solutions. Turkmen agricultural firms and the Aktau Wholesale Distribution Center (WDC) discussed regular deliveries of apples, pears, persimmons, nectarines, plums, almonds, tomatoes, and onions.
The Aktau WDC has infrastructure capable of handling significant volumes of perishable goods, including:
- a dry storage facility with a capacity of 10,693 tons,
- climate-controlled warehouses for up to 30,000 tons.
This enables potential transit of goods to other regions and stable distribution throughout the year.
Turkmen producers operate modern greenhouses that support the cultivation of export-oriented crops, including even tropical varieties such as bananas. These technologies make off-season deliveries feasible and ensure visual and quality consistency of fresh produce.
Kazakh businesses expressed interest in sourcing directly from Turkmen producers. Bypassing intermediaries is seen as a way to lower costs and improve pricing for end consumers. In turn, Turkmen agribusinesses indicated willingness to invest in logistics hubs on Kazakh territory, using Mangystau as a strategic point for further exports.
Plans were also discussed for establishing a special cross-border trade zone, which could streamline the movement of goods and expand regional agricultural trade. For Kazakhstan, such cooperation helps address domestic supply shortages while boosting its role as a transit and export hub.
Over 15 Turkmen-Kazakh joint ventures already operate in Mangystau, with agriculture and transport among the fastest-developing sectors.
Turkmen producers are expected to visit Aktau to assess logistics facilities and prepare for upcoming supply cycles.
Source: dknews.kz