Kazakhstan expects to harvest 15 million tons of grain in 2012

In the current marketing year Kazakhstan has exported 7.8 million tons of grain, Newskaz.ru reports, citing Ms. Anna Buts, Head of the Farming Lands Department of the Agriculture Ministry, as saying. “As of today, a total of 7.8 million of grain, including flour, has been exported”, Ms. Buts said. According to the Grain Union of Kazakhstan, the export figure is to reach 13 million tons: 9 million tons of grain and 4 million tons of flour, Nurlan Tleubayev, Head of the Grain Union said. Earlier Kazakhstan's grain export potential was estimated at 15 million tons. 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).