Kazakhstan has extended the ban on wheat imports until the end of the year and extended it to all modes of transportation

Kazakhstan will ban the import of wheat into the country by all modes of transportation by the end of the year. Previously, the restrictive measures provided for a ban on imports by road, water and rail (except for imports to poultry and flour mills) from April. The decision was made because, despite the previous ban, grain imports from Russia exceeded 1.1 million tons in six months, the Agriculture Ministry said.

“Given the large carryover stocks of last year’s harvest, as well as the good harvest of the current year, in order to prepare elevators to receive the new crop, as well as support domestic agricultural producers at the meeting of the interdepartmental commission it was decided to completely ban the import of wheat into Kazakhstan,” the ministry said.

It is specified that the ban will be introduced from August 1, 2024. According to statistics, for the first half of the year imports of wheat from Russia amounted to 1.1 million tons, which is 10% more compared to the same period in 2023. Also, as of July 1, Kazakhstan has about 6.1 million tons of grain stocks, of which wheat – 5.1 million tons, including 4 million tons for food purposes. In addition, the Ministry of Agriculture predicts a good grain harvest “due to the measures taken and favorable weather conditions.

The Ministry of Finance proposes to introduce an export duty on some agricultural goods. The Ministry of Agriculture is against it

The Ministry of Agriculture is also studying the issue of introducing export customs duty on a number of agricultural goods. Such an initiative was put forward by the Ministry of Finance. However, the Ministry of Agriculture believes that this may have a negative impact on the state of the industry and the financial situation of farmers. The industry portal “APK-Novosti” specified that the duty may amount to 50%. Taking into account the expected record harvest and remaining grain reserves, such a measure could lead to the loss of the sales market by Kazakhstan, noted one of the representatives of the sphere.

“It turns out that we want Russia to fully enter our traditional markets or we just want to kill Kazakhstan’s agro-industrial complex,” the newspaper quotes an unnamed businessman as saying.

Now the issue is being worked out with interested industry associations and unions. Then the position of the Ministry of Agriculture will be sent to the Ministry of Finance.

In addition, the interdepartmental commission decided to extend the ban on the export of breeding stock of cattle and small horned cattle until the end of the year. It was introduced in early January and was in effect until July. The Ministry of Agriculture explained the extension by the tasks of large-scale construction of dairy farms and support for the development of livestock farming according to the Australian method (scientific approach to farming, biosafety and traceability of livestock).

Tags: Russia, Kazakhstan, grain, wheat, imports, restrictions