Fruit Art, a Kazakhstan-based agricultural company involved in the cultivation, processing, and storage of fruits and berries, has expanded its production to include blueberries, alongside its main focus on strawberries and apples. The company also produces a range of processed fruit products, including freeze-dried berries.

According to Boris Sharipov, Deputy General Director of Fruit Art, blueberries represent a new and complex crop for the region. However, he noted that the company has identified suitable growing conditions and successfully overwintered most of its blueberry planting material. “We are now the only company in the country cultivating blueberries on an industrial scale,” Sharipov said.

The company has planted 240,000 blueberry seedlings, with peak fruiting expected between 2027 and 2028. At full maturity, each bush is projected to yield between 3 and 4.5 kilograms of berries.

Sharipov explained that blueberries are gaining popularity due to their hypoallergenic properties and use in health-focused diets. They also have a longer shelf life than berries like raspberries or strawberries, making them attractive for both domestic and export markets.

Blueberry cultivation in Kazakhstan poses several challenges due to the plant’s specific temperature, soil, and water requirements. Fruit Art uses tubs with a special substrate rather than planting directly in the ground, and the farm employs a drip irrigation system using water with controlled pH levels. Protective hail nets are installed during spring and summer, and harvesting will be mechanized using combine harvesters. Winter protection remains a priority due to the plant’s sensitivity to cold.

The company anticipates its blueberries will reach commercial markets in the coming years. In 2021, Andrei Yarmak, an economist at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, highlighted the potential for blueberry production in Central Asia, citing the crop’s global demand and export value.

Greenhouse production and international cooperation
Fruit Art also operates a fifth-generation greenhouse complex under the FRUTTA brand, which allows for early-season strawberry harvests by maintaining a controlled microclimate year-round. The 5.6-hectare facility can produce up to 900 tons of strawberries annually.

The company collaborates with Dutch technology provider Dalsem, which has developed greenhouse projects across the CIS, including several large-scale facilities in Kazakhstan.

In April 2025, the Fruit Art greenhouse hosted a delegation from the Netherlands led by Jan-Kees Goet, Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fishery, Food Security & Nature, as part of the third meeting of the Netherlands-Kazakhstan working group. The delegation also included the Vice Minister of Agriculture of Kazakhstan, Azat Sultanov.

Fruit Art was founded by businessman Haji Hajiyev and Asia Pacific CP Holding LTD., a non-resident legal entity in Kazakhstan, through Painting Solutions.

For more information:
Ministerie van Landbouw, Visserij, Voedselzekerheid en Natuur
Tel: +31 (0)70 379 8911
Email: [email protected]
www.agroberichtenbuitenland.nl