Kazakhstan will export about 5 million tons of grain – forecast

This season, Kazakhstan plans to export 5 million tons of grain. This forecast was announced by the Vice-Minister of Agriculture of Kazakhstan Azat Sultanov on the sidelines of KazAgro/KazFarm 2023.

“This year we plan to export 5 mln tons of grain. Previously, we used to ship an average of 7-8 million tons,” the Vice Minister said.

According to him, the Ministry of Agriculture does not plan to introduce quotas or other export restrictions, as the country’s grain stocks, including transitional stocks, are sufficient to ensure food security.

“There will be no quotas. So far, there are no prerequisites for export restrictions. The marketing season is just beginning. There is enough grain. We have taken unprecedented measures to support farmers. The Prodcorporation has set a fairly comfortable purchase price for farmers under forward contracts. We have already submitted a petition to the Ministry of Finance, and certain procedures are underway to allocate budget funds for direct purchases by the Prodcorporation. We will be buying grain from farmers for two years,” he said.

The Vice Minister noted that this is done to stabilize prices on the domestic market and to support the affected farmers so that they can sell the grain.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, this year’s grain harvest will amount to 15.6 million tons.

Sprouted grain, which accounts for a very high share of the total harvest, will be used for fodder.

“Sprouted grain is not suitable for flour… But it is suitable for fodder. This year we will have more than enough fodder for farmers… Our traditional grain markets have different requirements for flour quality, so we can export 4th and 5th grade grain and use this extra-grade wheat as fodder,” he said.

Tags: Kazakhstan, export, grain