ASTANA – Kazakhstan intends to export 9.4 million tons of grain and flour this year, said Azat Sultanov, director of the agricultural department at the Agriculture Ministry, at a March 9 Central Communications Service press briefing.
According to Sultanov, Kazakhstan usually exports six to seven million tons of grain and 1.5-2 million tons of flour, but last year was record-breaking for exporters.
“In the calendar year, we exported a record 13.2 million tons of grain and flour in grain equivalent to the same countries,” he said.
Cultivation has begun in Kazakhstan’s southern regions this spring.
According to the Vice Minister of Agriculture Abulkhair Tamabek, the sown areas of sunflowers, vegetables, melons, and potatoes will be increased this year. The total sown area will reach 23.4 million hectares in 2023, 68,600 hectares more than in 2022.
According to the ministry, the production of crops is enough to cover the needs of the domestic market. Sultanov said it is too early to make predictions on projected gross harvest, as the sowing campaign has not yet started in the main grain-growing regions of the country.