5-7 million tons of grain to roll over to the 2012-2013 agricultural year

About 5-7 million tons of grain harvested in the 2010-2011 agricultural year will roll over to the following agricultural year, Newskaz.ru reports, citing Agriculture Minister Assylzhan Mamytbekov as saying April 17. “This is the record high figure (…) Kazakhstan reached the highest ever exports volume: in November and December the grain export figure totaled over 350 000 tons a month”, Mr. Mamytbekov said at a press conference on Tuesday. Earlier Tengrinews.kz reported that Kazakhstan’s Agriculture Ministry had reduced the anticipated grain exports figure to 11-12 million tons. According to Ms. Anna Buts, Head of the Crops Farming Department at the Agriculture Ministry, as of April 1, 2012 Kazakhstan exported a total of 8.4 million tons, including 5.6 million tons of grain and 2.8 million tons of flour. This year’s sowing campaign will cover a total area of 21.5 million hectares of agricultural lands, Agriculture Minister Assylzhan Mamytbekov told at the government sitting April 9, 2012. “This figure exceeds that of last year by 1.3%. Grain crops will cover 16.2 million hectares, with oil-bearing crops accounting for 1.8 million hectares”, according to Mr. Mamytbekov. Areas under wheat will be reduced by 300 000 hectares. 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. 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).