The visit of Kazakh delegation to the Netherlands allows to implement new common initiatives
The Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Kingdom of the Netherlands and KAZAKH INVEST JSC jointly organized a visit of representatives from Kazakhstan state bodies and businesses. The main purpose of the visit was to get acquainted with the advanced agricultural technologies of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Within this framework and following the efforts to develop further cooperation between our countries, more than 30 meetings and an investment round table were held.
The delegation included officials from Aktobe and Zhambyl regions, the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and domestic business representatives. The visit started with a greeting from the Mayor of Westland Municipality, Bouke Arends, Dutch Greenhouse Delta CEO, Mirjam Boekestijn, and local investors.
Bouke Arends, noted the strong and reliable ties between Kazakhstan and the Netherlands in the political, economic and cultural spheres that have been formed over the past three decades. He emphasized the immense economic prospects for both nations to enhance their collaborative endeavors in sectors like agribusiness and the energy sector.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Kazakhstan, Abilkhair Tamabek, underscored the Netherlands' valuable role as Kazakhstan’s partner. He mentioned how the current challenges in the world highlight the importance of sustainability in agriculture, thus requiring us to make leaps of progress in that direction. This is achievable through the active collaboration of our countries and the initiative of the businesses.
Members of the delegation met with representatives of a number of Dutch companies working at the forefront of agrotechnology. They visited the Certhon Innovation Center and the TomatoWorld Information and Education Center. Certhon is a global expert in automated greenhouses with a 125-year history of success. They are conducting cutting-edge research to optimize indoor farming technologies, focusing on autonomous cultivation, robotic harvesting and smart LED lighting. The Kazakh delegation met with Tom van den Berg and discussed the future prospects of the industry and opportunities for cooperation with Kazakhstani businesses. TomatoWorld is a gardening learning centre in the heart of Westland. Visiting the information center, the members of the delegation exchanged experience with local specialists on sustainable cultivation methods and innovative technologies of the Dutch greenhouse industry. The companies based in TomatoWorld expressed their desire to establish contacts and develop cooperation with Kazakh businesses in the food industry.
The focus of the second day was the GreenTech Amsterdam exhibition. After the opening ceremony, invited speakers shared their views on the trends and future of the agricultural sector. After the discussion, the delegation visited the exhibition and studied innovative solutions. They watched presentations on the latest innovations in agriculture, including vertical farming, the use of AI and robotics, and renewable energy. Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Abilkhayr Tamabek, Adviser of Aktobe Region’s Akim, Nurzhan Orazov, and Deputy Akim of Zhambyl Region, Kanatbek Madibek, met with the General Secretary of the Ministry of Nature and Food Quality of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Jan-Kees Goet and special envoy of the Ministry, Frederik Vossenaar. As a result of the meeting, an agreement was established between the two countries on the creation of a working group in the field of agriculture.
"Kazakhstan has become one of our valuable strategic partners over the last 30 years, and we look forward to the development of economic relations between our countries," Jan-Kees Goet expressed his opinion. Vice-minister Tamabek noted the intention of the government of Kazakhstan to develop business partnership and high-tech enterprises between our countries. The members of the delegation later got acquainted with Molter, the market leader specializing in the cultivation of perennial plants, Van Der Ploeg, specializing in purebred cows, and Signify, one of the world's largest manufacturers of LED lamps.
On the third and fourth days, the delegation continued to get acquainted with the largest agricultural companies of the Netherlands. The delegation visited the headquarters of the Lily Company specializing in the cultivation and export of garden lilies and the Zentoo's Gardens cooperative, a large producer of quality chrysanthemums, and invited them to open their greenhouses in Kazakhstan.
The next meetings of the delegation were held in Midden-Delfland municipality. The vice-mayor of the municipality met with his colleagues from Kazakhstan and noted that this delegation opens up new opportunities for the creation of new economic ties between Midden-Delfland and Kazakhstan regions. Both sides expressed support for future joint ventures. Members of the delegation visited large dairy farms in the region. They met with representatives of the local Lely Company, which produces agricultural machinery and special robots for dairy farms around the world. The delegates also met with Van Der Hoeven's commercial director, Bob Hunsche. "Kazakhstan has great potential to expand its milk production. Experience in raising cattle and a large territory is an ideal environment for large dairy farmers," Hunsche said. Opportunities for working with local businesses were discussed during the meeting. The members of the delegation noted that dairy products and cattle are an excellent market with great potential, and expressed their support for establishing relations with such enterprises.
On Thursday, the delegation conversed with representatives of companies specializing in food products and solutions for crop production. They met with the directors of Svensson, Bayer – De Ruiter Seeds, Koppert and KUBO Greenhouse. Svensson is a world leader in climate control and energy efficiency. Delegates learned how modern greenhouse screens can be effectively used for sustainable cultivation of tomatoes and cucumbers. Bayer - De Ruiter Seeds is an expert in greenhouse and sheltered vegetable growing with a history dating back to the 1500s. At their Seeds Experience Center, guests were introduced to various programs for growing big number of crops. Koppert is a world leader in developing solutions for food crops and ornamental plants. In a meeting with business development specialist Aron Oostok, the delegation members discussed the latest research and development and how innovation can be implemented in large-scale greenhouses that can be installed in Kazakhstan. Greenhouse projects were then introduced at the accumulation and innovation center of KUBO, a major greenhouse manufacturer focused on sustainable innovation.
On Friday, as a result of the visit, a round table was organized with the participation of representatives of the Dutch government and business and Kazakhstani delegates. The round table was organized in order to discuss issues and ideas related to joint projects in the field of education and training in agriculture and greenhouses, the latest trends in these areas and ways to implement them. The representatives of both sides noted that the governments of Kazakhstan and the Netherlands have done a great job in promoting joint projects and that opportunities for new initiatives have been opened.
The participants held lively discussions on several areas in the field of agriculture and agreed on a common interest in ensuring food security. They also discussed the improvement of logistics chains (trans-Caspian route), value added tax, energy and other issues.
It should be noted how the Astana International Forum that was held in Kazakhstan has benefited the round table. Information about the forum was widely discussed among local businesses, and they pointed out that the country has increased its attractiveness to foreign investors.
In general, the members of the delegation noted that the contacts established during the business trip will be useful in the near future. The members of the delegation emphasized the importance of such joint efforts for the economic growth and development of our countries. More details