Kazakhstan plans to export a record 12 million tonnes of grain this year, with part of the new harvest intended for new markets. With the increased volume, agricultural producers expect grain prices to be highly competitive.
«We plan to sell to traditional markets as usual, but this year we aim to sell up to two million tonnes to new markets, including European countries, North Africa, and Southeast Asia, which we would access via transit through Russia or China. Therefore, we need to discuss the necessary support with the government. If we receive it, we plan to enter these new markets this year,» said Nurlan Ospanov, Chairman of the Kazakh Grain Union.
The majority of this year’s grain is Grade 3, which is primarily used for producing flour and baked goods. Experts say that last year, most of the raw material was of a lower grade.
«Regarding grain quality, it is noteworthy that 60 percent of the incoming grain is Grade 3. This marks a significant improvement compared to the previous year, when the figure was 35 percent,» said Marlen Ospanov, spokesperson for the Kazakh Ministry of Agriculture.
Notably, in 2023, Kazakhstan exported over 8.5 million tonnes of agricultural products worth more than US$2 billion. The country primarily supplied grain to Uzbekistan, China, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Italy. Potential buyers of Kazakh products from various countries gathered at a conference in Astana. Many of them have been purchasing domestic wheat for years and are now interested in signing new contracts.
«I have been working with Kazakhstan for many years. I think - already eight years. So when we buy durum wheat, we distribute locally to Italy. I’m here because I connect with many Kazakh exporters. Most of them are already our partners. We are happy with the quality. This year, it seems that the quality is slightly better, and we hope to also increase the import. The average purchase of durum wheat is approximately 200,000 tonnes per year,» said Italian entrepreneur Aurelio Di Carlo.
Overall, Kazakh farmers plan to harvest around 20 million tonnes of grain by the end of the harvesting campaign.
