ASTANA – Kazakhstan is ready to increase exports of 105 commodity items to Belarus, valued at approximately $265 million, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov said at a meeting with Prime Minister of Belarus Roman Golovchenko in Minsk on June 3, reported the Prime Minister’s press service.
Food Security of the Eurasian Economic Union plenary session. Photo credit: primeminister.kz
Last year, bilateral trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Belarus reached $912 million. Both countries see agricultural machinery as an important area of cooperation, with 11 projects implemented for the assembly of tractors, combines, and other equipment totaling more than $200 million and creating 1,600 jobs.
In his address at the Food Security of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) plenary session, Bektenov emphasized the significance of providing the population with quality and safe food. Kazakhstan, a major producer of grain and flour in Central Asia, uses its agricultural potential to ensure global food stability.
It ranks among the world’s top 25 food exporters, with agricultural products supplied to 80 countries, including Central Asian and EAEU countries. Over the past five years, Kazakhstan’s agricultural exports have doubled, reaching $5.4 billion.
Bektenov highlighted that one of the country’s strategic priorities is the development of the agro-industrial complex.
Kazakhstan aims to double its agricultural exports by 2026, focusing on deep-processed products. Bektenov expressed interest in opening joint processing facilities with localization in Kazakhstan.
He also underscored the potential of EAEU member countries to meet the food needs of approximately 600 million people, necessitating synchronizing food supply approaches at the national level while considering the needs and interests of all EAEU countries.
“Establishing close cooperative ties to produce competitive, environmentally friendly, and export-oriented products meeting advanced international standards should be one of our priority tasks. Prospects are expanded through the development of new logistics directions via Central Asia and increasing the capacity of existing routes to China,” he said.
During his visit to the Belagro-2024 International Exhibition, Bektenov toured the Kazakh exposition, which showcased domestic agricultural machinery such as combines, tractors, and sprinkling equipment, as well as deep-processed agro-industrial products.
The exhibition also featured scientific achievements from Kazakhstan’s agrarian research institutes, including a drone for field cultivation and patents for breeding achievements, such as four varieties of apples.
