Kazakhstan starts grain harvesting

Kazakhstan has started harvesting grain, Tengrinews.kz reports, citing the Press Service of the Kazakhstan’s Agriculture Ministry. The Ministry also reported it had launched a series of inspections on the country’s grain elevators. “The inspectors are scrutinizing grain driers and making sure granaries are properly disinfected (…) in Akmolinsk, Kostanai, North Kazakhstan oblasts work is under way to expand grain storage capacities”, the Press Service reports. In 2010 KazAgro National Company started financing construction and modernization of granaries out of state money. 9 new grain elevators totally capable of handling 120 000 tons of grain have been put in operation. Before the end of the year three granaries capable of 52 000 tons will be completed. Anna Buts, Head of the Farming Development Department at the Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Agriculture, had told journalists July 14 that Kazakhstan exported 5.9 million tons of grain in the 2010-2011 marketing year. According to her, this figure included grain equivalent of exported flour (2.5 million tons). Ms. Buts elaborated that grain was traditionally exported to Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan. According to the Government’s web-site, grain harvest in 2010 totaled 12.2 million tons (net weight). Grain harvest of 2009 made up 22.7 million tons (bunker weight).