Azernews.Az

By Gulgiz Dadashova

Kazakhstan, which is among the seven largest grain exporters in the world, is losing its leadership in world flour trade.

The revised world flour trade projections prepared by the International Grains Council indicates that a significant reduction in flour export will be observed in Kazakhstan in 2012-2013. Also, flour export is projected to decrease also in Turkey and the country is projected to catch up with Kazakhstan in flour exports.

Based on the report, flour imports will significantly decrease in the CIS countries, primarily Uzbekistan, and African states.

Despite decrease, Uzbekistan still remains the biggest flour buyer in the world.

Earlier Deputy Agriculture Minister Uimryaev Muslim said that since the beginning of the current marketing year, Kazakhstan exported 4.4 million tons of grain.

"The country exported 4.4 million tons of grain as of February 10 from the beginning of the marketing year," Umiryaev said adding that the figure was over 6.5 million tons in the the same period of last year.

Meanwhile, the Kazakh Agriculture Ministry makes optimistic forecasts for the harvest in 2013.

The ministry reported that overall planting acreage in Kazakhstan will be 21.3 million hectares in 2013, of which 15.9 million hectares are under crops.

"According to the preliminary data provided by the country's regions, the total area under crops will be ​​21.3 million hectares in 2013, which is about at the level of 2012," the report reads.

The area of ​​spring planting is estimated at 18.5 million hectares, grain crops will be planted on the area of ​​15.9 million hectares, including 13.1 million hectares under
wheat.

The Ministry reports that snow-fall in the first half of winter created the conditions for the accumulation of good soil moisture reserves for future harvest.

Meanwhile, the agricultural cooperation was a key topic of talks between Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister Mikhail Rusy and Head of Kazakh Kostanay region Nuraly Saduakasov.

The Belarusian state press-service reported that the parties have discussed the conditions and prospects of mutually beneficial cooperation, development and implementation of new joint projects.

During the meeting, the Belorussian side proposed to build storages on the territory of the Kostanai region for the Kazakh grain transportation to Europe, and establish cooperation between Belarusian companies and Kazakhstan's major manufacturers as Agromashholding and Ivolga-holding.

"We can thoroughly work to jointly create tractors and agricultural machinery production," Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister said.

In turn, the Kazakh side noted interest in purchasing Belarusian agricultural equipment and launching assembly plants in its territory.

"We consider the possibility of building an assembly plant in the Kostanai region," Saduakasov said, noting that the Kostanay region is interested in Belarusian robotic equipment for dairy farms.