Kazakhstan increases wheat export to Russia by one third

Russia imported 571.7 thousand tons of wheat via railway from Kazakhstan between July 1, 2013 and February 28, 2014. This is 35.8% more than it imported during the same period of last agricultural year, Tengrinews reports citing Interfax-Kazakhstan that referred to Deputy Director of the Strategic Marketing Department of RusAgroTrans Igor Pavensky. Besides, another 31 thousand tons of wheat was imported in March 1-12, 2014. A total of about 900 thousand tons of wheat may be imported from Kazakhstan to Russia this season, same as last season. Most part of wheat - 388 thousand tons (64%) - went to the Urals and 73 thousand tons (12%) went to Moscow region, Igor Pavensky said. The wheat import to the Urals is growing, while the import to Moscow oblast is slowing down. Besides, a substantial amount of grain is shipped from Kazakhstan to the Urals in trucks via a highway. "Over the past months the amounts of these shipments have become comparable to the those made via a railway," he said. Russia is importing a total of 1.4 million tons of grain this year, Pavensky said, whereas last year it imported 1.7 million tons. Speaking about Russia's grain export Pavensky said that the country was planning to dispatch 20.2 million tons of grain (without flour or pulse crops), including 14.9 million tons of wheat, over 2 million tons of barley and a record amount of corn, 3 million tons, between July 2013 and March 2014. The total export of grain this agricultural year will make 23.7 million tons, including 17.1 million tons of wheat, 2.3 million tons of barley and 3.8 million tons of corn. With flour or pulse crops added, the export will reach 24.6 million tons, he said.