USA: PepsiCo to build snack plant in Kazakhstan

US-based consumer goods giant PepsiCo has announced plans to build a new savoury snack plant in Almaty, in southeast Kazakhstan, according to a report in The Times of Central Asia.

With an initial investment of $160 million, the plant is expected to be the largest of its kind in Central Asia and to produce products such as Lay’s potato crisps.

According to David Manzini, president of PepsiCo in Central Asia, Russia, Belarus, and Caucasus, raw materials to supply the plant, including up to 66,000 tons of potatoes between 2026-2030, will be bought from Kazakh farmers.

The new factory is scheduled to open in 2026 and is expected to yield up to 16,000 tonnes of snack products within the first year, increasing to 21,000 tons from 2027, for distribution to both the Central Asian market and abroad.

Source: The Times of Central Asia