Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc., the beef and pork subsidiary of Tyson Foods Inc., signed Dec. 9 an agreement with the Republic of Kazakhstan and private holding company Kusto Group to collaborate on a project that, in its initial phase could lead to the construction of a modern beef processing plant in Kazakhstan, with an anticipated harvest capacity of 2,000 head per day.  As presently conceived, the investment is projected to help provide an annual agricultural economic benefit to the country well in excess of one billion dollars (USD).

Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world by geographic area and has identified the livestock and the multi-protein export industry as a key growth market. The country has an established beef industry which serves the domestic population with exports to the region. 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.

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,” stated 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.”
Steve Stouffer, group president of Tyson Fresh Meats, commented, “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.”
Yerkin Tatishev, chairman of the board of directors for Kusto Group, said the company believes in the tremendous potential Kazakhstan holds to transform into a global agricultural player.  

“Together with Tyson Foods, we are taking a first step in that direction today with our beef operations and look forward to getting underway,” Tatishev said.