ASTANA, Kazakhstan, November 6. Over the past 10 months, Kazakhstan increased export growth for many grain cargoes and developed new transportation routes along the Kazakhstan Railways (Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, KTZ) network, Trend reports.
Kazakhstan has increased its corn grain export by 1.5 times, reaching 117 thousand tons. Shipments to Tajikistan grew by 38 percent, and exports to Uzbekistan increased more than threefold. This year, corn grain shipments to Iran have also been initiated. Lentil exports have surged sevenfold, reaching 80 thousand tons. The majority of exports go to European countries and are transported through Russian ports.
A threefold increase in pea grain transportation is also noted. Afghanistan has doubled its imports from Kazakhstan while Uzbekistan's imports have tripled.
Rice producers have boosted exports by 47 percent (52 thousand tons), expanding into new markets in Azerbaijan and Belarus.
Kazakhstan’s barley is once again being imported by Iran, with an eightfold increase over the last two months. Over the past 10 months, barley exports totaled 710 thousand tons, marking a 69 percent growth.
"KTZ is taking necessary measures to increase grain cargo exports in all directions. The wagon and locomotive fleet is maintained at required levels, and close cooperation is ongoing with traders and relevant government agencies," the company noted.
Kazakhstan is the largest grain producer in Central Asia and the only major exporter. It has significant potential for exporting grain and flour. The United States will remain the world’s largest and unchanging grain exporter in the 2023-2024 season, holding the top spot since 1960. In the current season, the U.S. has exported 84 million tons of grain, accounting for 16.5 percent of global exports. Russia holds second place, with a 12.9 percent share, exporting 65 million tons of grain.