Kazakhstan’s grain harvest reaches record high as new export markets emerge

KAZAKHSTAN – Kazakhstan’s agriculture sector has reached an impressive milestone, with nearly all of the year’s cereal crops harvested, setting the stage for a robust export season.

According to Aidarbek Saparov, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Agriculture, 16.7 million hectares of cereals were sown this year, with the harvest now 99.7% complete.

The season yielded 26.5 million tons of grain, of which approximately 12 million tons are slated for export to both established and emerging markets.

Kairat Torebayev, Deputy Minister of Trade and Integration, outlined Kazakhstan’s 2023 export potential, which includes an anticipated 7-7.5 million tons of wheat, 1.4 million tons of barley, and 300,000 tons of corn.

According to him, Kazakhstan’s traditional export markets in Central Asia and Afghanistan remain critical, yet the country is also expanding to new destinations, including Pakistan, Indonesia, Brazil, and Malaysia.

With China, Kazakhstan’s trade relations have strengthened significantly this year, reflecting an increasing demand for Kazakh cereals.

Torebayev reported that cereal exports to China surged to 1.43 million tons, a remarkable 5.5-fold increase compared to the previous year.

Wheat exports alone reached 538,800 tons, almost 15 times higher than in 2022. The government plans to increase its wheat exports to China and other Asian countries to 1.6 million tons, bolstered by Kazakhstan’s geographic advantage and strengthening regional trade ties.

Meanwhile, Kazakhstan is exploring opportunities in other key markets. Preliminary agreements are in place to supply 600,000 tons of wheat to Armenia, and 1 million tons to Italy, and discussions are ongoing with North African countries to export an additional 200,000 tons of grain.

Kazakhstan’s grain export potential to Turkey and Middle Eastern countries is also estimated at close to 1 million tons.

According to APK-Inform, in the previous grain season of 2022/23, Kazakhstan exported a record-breaking 7.3 million tons of wheat, with Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and China as the primary buyers.

That same year, Kazakhstan’s wheat exports were valued at $1.91 billion, making it the 11th largest wheat exporter globally.

With this year’s bumper crop and expanding trade agreements, Kazakhstan is set further to establish its role as a leading global grain supplier, leveraging new partnerships to build on the nation’s export legacy.

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