In December 2024, an innovative vertical greenhouse for growing microgreens such as lettuce, arugula, basil, and others was launched in the Almaty Industrial Zone (AIZ), reports Almaty.tv. Journalists were able to tour the facility during a press event organized by the city's Department of Entrepreneurship and Investments, in collaboration with the regional communication service.
The facility has an annual production capacity of 300,000 units. The total investment in the project amounted to 121 million tenge (approximately €225,000), with 100 million tenge (approx €185,000) from the company's funds and 21 million tenge (approx €40,000) in loans at a 2% interest rate from MFO Almaty, a subsidiary of SPK Almaty.
Company director Ulyana Savchenko explained that the idea to open the greenhouse came in response to the growing demand for fresh and organic products. "More and more people are choosing healthy eating habits. Hydroponic systems allow us to grow high-quality greens year-round, without GMOs or chemicals. Seasonality doesn't affect prices. Even during peak seasons, the prices remain the same," Savchenko emphasized.
The Almaty Industrial Zone is a major production site designed to house investment projects. Currently, 107 companies operate there, with a total investment of over 550 billion tenge (approx €1.02 billion). Since 2016, 41 projects have been implemented, generating more than 4,400 jobs and producing goods worth over 2.5 trillion tenge (approx €4.6 billion).
Source: almaty.tv