Kazakhstan to export grain to South-East Asia
By Aynur Jafarova
Kazakhstan plans to export grain to South-East Asia, Chairman of the Committee of State Inspections in the Agricultural Sector of Kazakh Agriculture Ministry Saktash Khasenov said on September 29.
"We have good progress in the export of bread to South-East Asia and China," he noted. "The issue has been almost resolved. Thus, the export volumes of Kazakh grain to China have been growing over the last 3-4 years."
Khasenov also said Kazakhstan will consider the export to South-East Asia, including South Korea, by transiting through China in the future.
The committee chairman went on to add that Kazakhstan plans to
export about 7 million metric tons of grain in the new marketing
year.
"We plan to reach the target of 17 million metric tons [of
production]. Given the needs of the state to wheat, which is about
6 million metric tons, that is quite enough to provide our own
living, and, in addition, to have export around 7 million metric
tons," he said.
He also noted due to the weather conditions, work on the harvest in
Kazakhstan stopped for a short while but it is possible to complete
all the harvest work within two weeks.
"Compared to last year, the yield is 1.2 quintals lower, but the
quality is better," Khasenov said.
He also added the harvest work has been completed in Aktobe,
Zhambyl, West Kazakhstan and South Kazakhstan provinces. Also
harvest work in East Kazakhstan and Karaganda provinces are to be
finished soon.
"The main areas of harvest are Kostanay, Akmola and North
Kazakhstan provinces. Here harvest work is still underway. Out of
the total bread handed over to the grain elevators in the amount of
1.7 million metric tons, 1.5 million metric tons account for the
bread, which corresponds to the third class. That's a good figure,"
he said.
Kazakhstan is among the world's major grain exporters. In 2011, the country had a record harvest of nearly 27 million tons of grain in net weight. Kazakhstan exported 8.7 million tons of grain in 2013-2014 marketing year.
In 2012, Kazakh farmers harvested only 14.8 tons of grain due to a summer drought which occurred in the main grain regions. In 2013 grain harvest hit 18.9 million tons including 14.5 million tons of wheat.
Kazakhstan's total revenue from the wheat export has grown in the past four years by almost 2.5 times. The total revenue from wheat export was $1.2 billion in 2013 while in 2009 this figure was about $600 million.