A logistics centre with a 400-tonne cold store has opened in Chon-Alai

A logistics centre with a 400-tonne cold store has opened in the Chon-Alai district. It is intended to help local farmers store their harvest after it has been gathered and sell it throughout the year, rather than immediately after harvesting.

This is a significant development for the district, as around 99 per cent of the population is involved in potato farming.

“Previously, due to a lack of suitable facilities, farmers were forced to sell their harvest in the autumn, when market supply was high and prices were consequently low. Furthermore, we used to face a shortage of seed potatoes in the spring before planting,” said Dyikanbay Baktybaev, director of the “Chon-Alai Potato Farming” co-operative.

Now, part of the harvest can be stored until the next season, which will allow local producers to use high-quality seed potatoes and supply them to farmers throughout the year.

“11 million KGS were allocated from the district and regional development funds for the construction of a 400-tonne potato storage facility. In 2026, a further 1.5 million KGS was allocated for improvements, whilst international partners supplied modern equipment, crates and loading machinery worth over 15 million KGS,” said Anarbek Kulov, head of the Chon-Alai Aiyl Okmotu.

Won Il-haeng, a representative of the international organisation Good Neighbours International, also took part in the event marking the opening of the new logistics centre. He highlighted the importance of the project for the development of local agriculture and support for farmers.

It should be noted that the project is being implemented with financial support from KOICA and the participation of Good Neighbours International as part of the integrated rural development programme.

In addition to storing potatoes, the centre is intended to help cooperatives reduce crop losses, organise transport and gain more stable access to sales markets.

For Chon-Alai, this means the opportunity to gradually move away from the simple and unprofitable sale of the harvest towards a more organised supply chain – from cultivation and storage to the sale of produce.