Kazakhstan’s Agriculture Ministry expects the grain harvest to reach 18.5-19 million tonnes by the end of this year, local media Tengri News reports, citing Vice Minister Muslim Umiryaev.
“The harvesting campaign is 97% complete on crop lands. The total weight of grain stands at 20.5 million tonnes, which means the net weight is expected to be around 18.5-19 million tonnes”, the Vice Minister said.
According to him, the grain export potential, given last year’s carryover, makes up 9-10 million tonnes. He elaborated that since July 1, Kazakhstan has exported about 2.5 million tonnes of grain. For the last marketing year Kazakhstan has exported a total of more than 7 million tonnes. This year Kazakhstan may significantly increase this figure.
In 2012 Kazakhstan’s grain harvest amounted to 14.7 million tonnes. According to the State Agency for Statistics, grain production in Kazakhstan in 2011 was record and totalled 26.9 million tonnes in net weight, with export potential standing at 15 million tonnes. 2010 grain harvest figure totalled 12.2 million tonnes.