Kazakhstan may launch grain terminals along its borders on Turkmenistan and Iran, Tengrinews.kz reports, citing Nurbek Dairbekov, Managing Director of ProdKorporatsiya National Company [regulating grain exports], as saying.
Kazakhstan may launch grain terminals along its borders on Turkmenistan and Iran, Tengrinews.kz reports, citing Nurbek Dairbekov, Managing Director of ProdKorporatsiya National Company [regulating grain exports], as saying.
“Kazakhstan is considering constructing grain terminals at the border on Turkmenistan and Iran, a measure to boost grain supplies. ProdKorporatsiya is also considering developing grain terminals eastwards, that is towards China, to stabilize and boost grain exports in that direction”, he elaborated.
He also added that plans are there to launch a new railway link to connect Kazakhstan to Iran through Turkmenistan.
According to him, Kazakhstan currently relies on grain terminals in Aktau, Baku, Amirabad, and some terminals based in ports of the Baltic and Azov Seas.
In his turn, the country’s Agriculture Minister Assylzhan Mamytbekov said April 22 that Kazakhstan and Russia are discussing grain swap operations. “For instance, Moscow’s population is almost equal to that of entire Kazakhstan. Grain is mostly shipped to Moscow from the South of Russia, and the transport component stands at $30 per ton. It would be economically viable [for Kazakhstan] to ship its grain to Moscow, receiving its equivalent at the Black Sea via swap operations”, the Minister said.
Kazakhstan’s 2013 grain harvest (net weight) made up 18.9 million tons. According to the Kazakh Agriculture Ministry, grain exports in the 2013-2014 marketing year will stand at about 7 million tons.
In 2012 Kazakhstan’s grain harvest amounted to 14.7 million tonnes. According to the State Agency for Statistics, grain production in Kazakhstan in 2011 totaled 26.9 million tons (net weight), with exports potential standing at 15 million tons.