Xinjiang Lihua (Group) Co., Ltd., one of the largest cotton-industry companies in China, is building a cotton-textile cluster in the Turan special economic zone in the Turkestan region of southern Kazakhstan.
According to the Kazakh Ministry of Agriculture, the project is developing a full production cycle — from cotton cultivation to the production of finished textile products (yarn, fabric, and clothing). The cluster will grow cotton on over 50,000 hectares of farmland and build ten plants, including four cotton-processing plants, two plants for the production of drip irrigation systems, and four textile factories.
Investments in the project will exceed 200 billion KZT ($397 million), with the creation of over 4,000 jobs.
The project’s progress was discussed on March 24 by Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov and Xinjiang Lihua Chairman Zhang Qihai.
To date, the Chinese investor has built a PVC pipe manufacturing plant to meet the needs of the cluster, and the construction of textile factories has begun. The company is also building irrigation infrastructure, including canals and a pumping station.
The cluster plans to launch the production of finished products in October.
Bektenov emphasized the significance of the project and the importance of the cluster approach for Kazakhstan’s economy. He noted that the Turkestan region is the only region of Kazakhstan where cotton is grown.
Bektenov pledged the government’s support for the project and stated: “The creation of a cotton-textile cluster contributes to increasing the added value of products, developing agricultural production with an emphasis on processing and increasing the country’s export potential.”
