Kazakhstan aims to collect 18mln tons of grains this year

NUR-SULTAN. KAZINFORM – Kazakh Agriculture Minister Saparkhan Omarov spoke about the measures to stabilize food prices while addressing the government session on Tuesday, Kazinform correspondent reports.

According to the agriculture minister, the work is underway to supply the domestic market with the 29 main food commodities. He went on to say that supply by 100% and 80% of the domestic market with 12 and 11 commodity items, respectively has already been established. Work is ongoing to substitute imports of 6 food commodities, he said.

The total cultivated area across the country stands at 22.7 million hectares, expanded by 439.2 thousand ha.

The minister said that there are plans to collect 18 million tons of grains so as to meet the domestic demand as well as exports potential. It is expected that 2.6 million tons of oilseed crops, up by 100 thousand tons than in the previous year, will be harvested. According to him, the production volumes of potato and vegetable and melon crops will rise to 4 million tons and 6.8 million tons, respectively.

Increases by 5%, 3.2% and 9% have also been reported in the numbers of livestock, cattle and goats, and horses.