NL: Kazakhstan delegation visits World Horti Center in Westland

On February 15, a high-level delegation of Kazakhstani governmental officials and investors, led by the Chairman of the Investment Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, visited the World Horti Center in Westland. The visit aimed to strengthen the relationship between the Netherlands and Kazakhstan in the field of agriculture and horticulture and to provide a platform for discussions on various aspects of investing in Kazakhstan and enlarging businesses.

The delegation was welcomed at World Horti Center by Mr. Jan-Kees Goet, Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, Mr. Bouke Arends, Mayor of the municipality of Westland, Ms. Puck van Holsteijn, Director of World Horti Center, Mr. Frederik Vossenaar, Special Envoy Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality and Ms. Mirjam Boekestijn, acting Director of Dutch Greenhouse Delta. After the welcome speeches, they were given a tour through the World Horti Center, the knowledge and innovation center of the food and flower industry. During the tour, they listened to several pitches on themes like water and energy saving and IT and AI solutions. The roundtable, which subsequently took place, covered various topics, including healthcare, telecommunication, alternative energy resources, horti and agriculture, investment opportunities, and financial instruments in Kazakhstan. No less than three memorandums for cooperation between Dutch and Kazakhstani companies were signed. One of these was between, MJ-Tech and the Union of Greenhouses of Kazakhstan on cooperation in the implementation of a project for the production of irrigation equipment. The visit concluded with meetings between Kazakhstani and Dutch government officials and businessmen. Mr. Frederik Vossenaar, Special Envoy Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, states: The visit well illustrated the interest of our partners to develop sustainable food production in Kazakhstan. To strengthen the cooperation, an agricultural counselor will be appointed at our Embassy in Astana later this year.

Strategic sector
In recent years Kazakhstan showed great interest in Dutch advanced and high-tech solutions to produce food safely and securely. Various incoming and outgoing missions contributed to the development of an extensive relationship network with governments, investors, and horticulture entrepreneurs. Kazakhstan is the 9th largest country in the world, bordering Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and China, which gives access to major world markets. Kazakhstan is a politically, socially, and economically stable country with a population of almost 19 million people and an area of 2.8 mln sq. km. The Agro-Industrial Complex is one of the most important strategic sectors of Kazakhstan’s economy. Around 20% of the employed population is engaged in agriculture, and food production, and 210 million hectares of its land are used for agriculture. The Kazakhstani Government supports the development of the sector with various incentives and subsidies, a business-friendly environment, and investor rights protection. (source: Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic Kazakhstan).

Participating organizations
The visit was initiated and organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Kazakh Invest, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Central Asia, the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, Municipality of Westland, World Horti Center, and Dutch Greenhouse Delta.

The following Dutch and Kazakhstani organizations participated: Baiterek, BOAL Group, Dalsem, Investment Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Hortilux Schréder, Kazakhstan Investment Development Fund, Koppert, KUBO, MJ-Tech, NAK Tuinbouw, Ridder, Rijk Zwaan, Royal Eijkelkamp, Signify, Svensson, Syngenta, Urenco, Van der Hoeven Horticultural Projects, VEON, and Viscon Group.