Kazakhstan's greenhouse sector is increasingly shifting from tomatoes to cucumbers, reflecting changing market demand and export dynamics. In 2025, greenhouse areas under tomatoes decreased by 5.8%, while cucumber plantings expanded by 11.6%. This reallocation impacted overall output: total greenhouse vegetable production fell by 4.5% to 201,300 tonnes.
Cucumber production showed strong growth, rising 10.8% to 86,400 tonnes, while tomato output declined 13.7% to 109,700 tonnes. Production of other greenhouse crops also dropped by 9%. Despite these shifts, the total greenhouse area in Kazakhstan grew slightly by 1.5%, reaching nearly 14 million sq. m. Around 90% of these facilities are located in southern regions, where lower heating costs provide a structural advantage.
The Turkestan region remains the dominant producer, accounting for 72% of greenhouse areas (over 10 million sq. m). In 2025, the region produced 112,600 tonnes of greenhouse vegetables, far ahead of other regions such as the Almaty region (19,100 tonnes), the Pavlodar region (14,900 tonnes), and the Shymkent region (12,700 tonnes).
At the same time, several regions reduced greenhouse areas, including Karaganda (-50.5%), Atyrau (-31.5%), Kyzylorda (-22.7%), and Astana (-18.2%). Market trends confirm the shift toward cucumbers. Domestic production covered 96.8% of the total supply, while exports surged 2.7 times to 12,400 tonnes. In contrast, tomato exports fell nearly in half to 13,300 tonnes.
Source: finprom.kz
