ASTANA – Kazakhstan has exported 3.3 million tons of wheat and meslin worth $876.7 million over the first five months of this year, a 16.5% increase by volume and 3.5% by value, EnergyProm.kz reported on Aug. 15.
Photo credit: inbusiness.kz.
Delivery prices decreased by 3.5% over the month of May and 6.3% over the year. The global price of wheat rose by 1.6% for the first time in nine months, mainly due to the uncertainty related to the export supplies from Ukraine caused by Russia’s decision to withdraw from the Black Sea Grain Initiative and damage to Ukraine’s port infrastructure on the Black Sea and the Danube River.
Kazakhstan’s wheat supply prices for the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) decreased by 14.9% in a year, but increased by 9.7% to other countries.
The country sent most of the products – 2.3 million tons – to the CIS, 25.5% more than a year earlier, mainly to Uzbekistan (1.7 million tons), Tajikistan (325,100 tons), and Turkmenistan (156,100 tons).
Kazakhstan exported 974,600 tons of wheat to other countries, 0.3% less than the previous year. Afghanistan accounted for the largest volume of 318,500 tons, followed by Italy with 214,500 tons and China with 152,800 tons.
The wheat sowing area in Kazakhstan increased by 6.5% to 13.7 million hectares this year, with the Akmola, Kostanai, and North Kazakhstan regions showing the highest indicators.
Kazakhstan produces an average of 13.5 million tons of soft wheat annually, enough for the country’s needs and export. The government also has a contingency plan of a one million tons reserve to meet the needs of the domestic market.
