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PepsiCo plans to more than double its investment in a snack production plant in Kazakhstan’s Almaty Region, positioning it as the largest facility of its kind in Central Asia and marking the company’s first greenfield project in the region.

Initially set at $160 million after negotiations in June 2024, the investment will now exceed that amount, enabling a threefold increase in production capacity and raw potato usage. Upon completion of the project’s second phase, raw potato use will rise from 70,000 to 210,000 tonnes, while output will reach 70,000 tonnes. The expanded facility is expected to create around 900 new jobs.

The increased investment and expansion plans were announced during a 20 May meeting between Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov and David Manzini, PepsiCo president for Central Asia, Russia, Belarus and the Caucasus.

PepsiCo stated it will work closely with local farmers, aiming to fully localise potato cultivation by 2035. Currently, 15 farming companies from the Almaty, Akmola, Pavlodar, Karaganda and Zhetisu regions are partnering with the company.

PepsiCo’s programme aligns with the Kazakhstan government's policy to support agriculture across the country. Bektenov said: “The president of Kazakhstan has set the goal to ensure a real breakthrough in agriculture. We shall become one of the key agricultural centers for Eurasia. Thus, we need to move from commodities growing to industrial agriculture, increasing it to 70%”.

As part of the project, which will go live in Spring 2026 and reach full capacity the following year, PepsiCo will offer support modern warehousing to protect crops and implement a science-based approach to local farming.

Speaking about PepsiCo’s investment, Manzini spoke about the growth potential of the facility, saying: “The country ensures favourable conditions for foreign investors, we see significant growth potential here, and we are increasing our investments”.

Following the meeting, an investment agreement was signed, with both PepsiCo and the Kazakh government pledging close cooperation to implement the project and explore further investment opportunities.