Fruit Art company first in Kazakhstan to start growing blueberries
Blueberry plantations with an area of 55 hectares have appeared in the Almaty region. Producers plan to harvest more than 700 tonnes of berries per year.
Fruit Art company specializes in the cultivation, processing and storage of fruits and berries. Their main profile is strawberries and apples, as well as various products from them, including freeze-dried (dehydrated) berries. However, last year the company also planted blueberries.
"This is a fairly complex crop, not familiar to our region, but we have found a formula for success in growing blueberries in Kazakhstan. We see prospects in this direction, because the main part of the planting material of our blueberries has successfully overwintered. Now we are the only ones in the country who have started growing blueberries on an industrial level," said Boris Sharipov, Deputy General Director of Fruit Art.
In total, 240 thousand seedlings were planted. The peak of their fruiting will come only in 2027-2028, and then from 3 to 4.5 kilograms of berries will be harvested from one bush.
"Blueberries are gaining popularity now because they are a hypoallergenic product and are often used in healthy diets. Blueberries have a long shelf life, longer than raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries. Blueberries are popular not only in our countries, but all over the world, so they have great export potential," said Boris Sharipov.
Blueberries have special requirements for temperature, soil and water composition. Berry bushes do not grow in the ground, but in tubs with a special substrate. Drip irrigation with prepared water with low pH has been organised. According to a representative of Fruit Art, blueberries are a thermophilic plant, and in winter they make great efforts to preserve the bushes. In summer and spring, a special hail net is installed over the plantations. Harvesting will be carried out using combine harvesters.
The company hopes that in a few years their blueberries will be available on store shelves. Recall that back in 2021, Andrei Yarmak, an economist at the United Nations Agricultural Organisation, noted that blueberry cultivation could be a promising business for Central Asian countries.
Dutch touch
The greenhouse complex allows to get the first harvest a few weeks earlier than when growing in the open ground. The greenhouse maintains an ideal microclimate at any time of the year. Total area of the glass greenhouse complex of the 5th generation FRUTTA is 5.6 hectares which makes it possible to produce 900 tons of strawberries per year.
FruiArt's technology partner is Dutch company Dalsem, that specializes in the development and implementation of complete high-tech greenhouse projects. The experience in the CIS includes 27 greenhouse complexes, including 4 largest leading greenhouse plants of the 5th generation in Kazakhstan (NAC Agro (BRB APK LLP), Green Land Alatau, IZET-Aktobe, PTK Pavlodar).
In April of 2025 Dutch delegation headed by Jan-Kees Goet, Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fishery, Food Securitty & Nature of the Netherlands visited the greenhouse of FruiArt company together with his Kazakhstani counterpart, Vice Minister of Agriculture of Kazakhstan Azat Sultanov within the farmework of the official visit of Jeen-Kees Goet to Kazakhstan with the aim to have the 3rd meeting of Netherlands-Kazakhstan working group.
The founders of the Fruit Art company are businessman Haji Hajiyev and, through Painting Solutions, the Asia Pacific CP Holding LTD., a non-resident legal entity in Kazakhstan.