Kazakhstan exports 4.1 million tons of grain in Jan – Dec 2011

From September to December 2011 Kazakhstan exported a total of 4.1 million tons of grain, the country’s Agriculture Ministry officials announced January 24. “The overall grain exports figure for the period under review stands at 4.1 million tons, including flour exports”, the Ministry’s press-release reads. “To fully unleash the grain exports potential of 15 million tons, Kazakhstan should be able to export by June a total of 10.2 million tons of grain, including flour exports”, the Ministry elaborates. One of the hurdles to the exports plan is shortage of railway grain carriers. The national fleet currently comprises of 5200 grain carriers, with only 4500 of them being actually in operation. Twice more grain carriers are needed to effectively export the planned volumes of grain. Kazakhstan Temir Zholy National Railways Operator rents another 2880 carriers from neighboring states. Starting from March 2012 Kazakhstan may start subsidizing grain supplies to the sea ports of the Azov, Black and Baltic Seas, according to Agriculture Vice Minister Muslim Umiryaev. He elaborated that Central Asia states, Afghanistan and Iran had been traditional markes for Kazakh grain. Besides, Kazakhstan supplies its grain to Egypt, Mediterranean nations and Belarus. “Kazakh grain is exported to more than 70 countries”, he told a briefing January 24. According to the State Agency for Statistics, grain production in Kazakhstan in 2011 totaled 26.9 million tons (net weight). According to the Agriculture Ministry stats, Kazakhstan exported 5.9 million tons of grain in the 2010-2011 marketing year. This figure included grain equivalent of exported flour (2.5 million tons). The 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).