The Union of crop growers of Kazakhstan is set to harvest no more than 8.8 centners per hectare on average. Although the forecasts were at the level of 10 centners a month ago. According to the Union’s head Viktor Aslanov, unfortunately, the rains did not change the situation, the crop almost formed by this time. If the harvesting campaign turns out to be rainy, then one should not expect good quality wheat, the expert said. The total supply on the domestic market in comparison with last year may decrease by half a million, amounting to about 12.8 million tons. Less than half of these volumes are sufficient for domestic consumption. Therefore, even with the current disappointing forecasts, wheat will be exported. It turned out to be a poor harvest year for the Central Asian countries. Due to high demand in the region, prices for milling wheat are already rising.
“We made sure that there is no threat of a food crisis, Kazakhstan will be able to provide itself with grain. However, members of the industry union believe that it is still necessary to minimize risks. We propose to introduce quotas for the export of wheat. So that farmers themselves set a certain level, above which they will not be able to sell grain abroad. It will be a kind of carte blanche for millers, who will have the opportunity to increase exports. Such a proposal will not infringe on anyone’s rights and, most importantly, will create a safety cushion,” said Viktor Aslanov, Chairperson of the Union of Kazakhstan’s Crop Growers.
Translation by Saniya Sakenova
Editing by Galiya Khassenkhanova
