Kazakhstan steps up grain exports to China, Afghanistan
"The cereals and legumes, which the country mainly exports, are soft wheat, flinty wheat, barley, rice, and lentils. They make up over 98% of all exports of cereals and legumes," said Nurlan Ospanov.
The head of the Grain Union added that cereals are normally supplied to the neighboring CIS countries, as well as the markets of Iran and European countries via seaports of the Black, Azov and Baltic seas.
"Exports of cereals to China and Afghanistan have also increased. In particular, flour exports to Afghanistan can be mentioned. As to the new markets, we can say that we have begun supplying cereals and legumes to the countries of North Africa and Southeast Asia," Ospanov said.
He underlined that Kazakhstan is carrying out activities to develop logistics routes. For supplies to Iran, an additional grain terminal has been built in the Kazakh port of Aktau and a new railway line. For Southeast Asian countries, we have established a transit corridor through the Chinese port of Lianyungang. As to Turkey, we have launched a route from Kazakhstan's port of Kuryk along the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway Corridor, with the possibility to access the markets of Southern Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia via the Turkish port of Mersin.
"For now, the most successful of the above projects is the project to maintain exports by launching an additional grain terminal in Aktau. This year it has lessened the burden of our Akbidai Terminal. Regarding the total volume of grain exports, including flour in grain equivalent and legumes, it amounted to 8,126,758 tons in the 2016-2017 marketing year. Wheat including flour accounts for 88% of the total exports of cereals and legumes. In general, cereals make up nearly 98% of the total exports, whereas legumes account for only 2%," Nurlan Ospanov summed up.