According to a release from the Zhambyl regional administration on 29 October, Governor Yerbol Karashukeyev inspected the Taraz sugar plant under reconstruction and heard from agricultural producers. The upgrade began in 2025 with the aim of restoring production.
How far has beet purchasing at the Taraz sugar plant progressed?
According to the regional administration, the plant has been buying beet on the agreed schedule since 25 October and now takes in about 1,000 tonnes of raw material a day; the purchase volume is planned to rise in stages in November. Kazakhstan's Kursiv Media and Time.kz gave the same figures in reports of 30 October.
How much is the Taraz upgrade costing and what capacity will it have?
The regional administration says total project investment is 12.4 billion tenge. At full operation the plant can process up to 3,000 tonnes of beet a day, about 250,000 tonnes a year. Note that this is design capacity; actual purchases are still 1,000 tonnes a day.
What is the state of installation and readiness?
The regional administration says the main construction and installation work is close to completion. Process equipment has arrived for beet reception, washing and processing, juice purification, filtration, evaporation, crystallisation and centrifuging; the production lines are still being installed, and overall readiness is 95%. To speed things up, 10 contractors work in two shifts. With state support the company has obtained the land it needs, and the questions of increasing gas and power supply have been resolved.
Where will the beet come from?
According to regional agriculture information relayed by Sugar.ru, 9,900 hectares of beet were planted across the region in 2026; 94 farms supply the Taraz plant, with 5,500 hectares. The governor asked that beet purchasing, transport and processing be coordinated so that farmers can sell their harvest on time (per the regional administration). Time.kz also reports that 25,600 hectares of corn were planted this year to supply the corn deep-processing project in Shu District, with a plan to raise this to 60,000 hectares.
Frequently asked questions
### Is the Taraz sugar plant fully in production?
No. The regional administration says installation is still being completed; for now the plant is only buying beet on schedule, about 1,000 tonnes a day, with gradual increases planned for November.
### How much did the sugar plant upgrade cost in total?
The regional administration gives total project investment of 12.4 billion tenge, with designed capacity at full operation of up to 3,000 tonnes of beet a day, about 250,000 tonnes a year.
### Does this project involve Chinese companies?
The regional administration's published information does not mention Chinese companies, and this article draws no inference.
### How is the beet purchased?
According to the regional administration, the plant buys on an approved schedule; according to Sugar.ru, the governor earlier asked that every farmer know the delivery time to avoid queues at the plant. Specific purchase terms are set by agreements between the plant and farmers.
Further reading
- More industry and policy news: Kazakhstan investment and projects news section
- Similar agricultural processing: Kazakhstan grain deep processing: 8.4 million tonnes exported, under 10% to China
- Agriculture and irrigation: Progress on Kazakhstan's irrigation network modernisation
- Set up a project company in Kazakhstan: Kazakhstan company registration services
Sources
- Zhambyl Region Akimat (Governor's Office), 29 October: https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/zhambyl/press/news/details/1320299?lang=ru
- Kursiv Media, 30 October: https://kz.kursiv.media/2026-10-30/svan-saharnyj-zavod-odnoj-iz-bogatejshih-rossiyanok-obnovili-za-124-mlrd-tege-v-taraze/
- Time.kz, 30 October: https://time.kz/fresh/aktualno/2026/10/30/stavka-na-sobstvennoe-proizvodstvo
- Sugar.ru: https://www.sugar.ru/node/52349
The cover image was generated by AI and is not a real photograph.