21 July 2008 – Local media report that the Turkmen government recently placed the modernization and expansion of the country's food manufacturing industry on its agenda. A number of proposals for new facilities are being drawn up accordingly.
Efforts will focus in two directions: the construction of new, modern processing facilities and the modernization of existing sites.
Next year will see the launch of the reconstruction of two oil processing plants in Bayramali and Turkmenabat. By the end of the project, both factories will have an increased capacity and be able to manufacture a range of new, better quality products, such as salad oil, margarine and mayonnaise. The reconstruction of a tomato canning plant in Dashoguz is also on the cards.
Meat and dairy processing plants will be built in the shape of complexes within larger industrial zones, in a bid to cut costs on road constructions. Such an industrial zone is already planned for the Ruhabat Etrap in the suburbs of the Turkmen capital.