ASTANA, Kazakhstan, May 22. In the first quarter of 2025, Kazakhstan's turnover of the agricultural sector reached $430.5 million (a 45 percent increase), and exports amounted to $301.9 million (a 42 percent increase), said the Minister of Agriculture of Kazakhstan, Aidarbek Saparov, during the meeting with the Chief of the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China, Sun Meijun, Trend reports.
The parties also discussed the prospects for expanding bilateral cooperation in the agricultural sector and strengthening trade and economic ties.
"The presidents of our countries have repeatedly emphasized the strategic importance of deepening cooperation, especially in the agro-industrial sector. Our task is to create all conditions to ensure high standards of quality and safety for products entering the Chinese market," noted Aidarbek Saparov.
The Kazakh side also initiated the updating of existing veterinary and phytosanitary protocols, inspections of Kazakh livestock enterprises, and expanding access to the Chinese market for crop products such as rice, cotton seeds, melons, and mung beans.
Among the priorities is increasing grain export volumes. Over two years (2023/2024), annual grain exports to China reached 1.4 million tons, and from September 2024 to April 2025, exports grew by 27 percent, reaching 1.859 million tons.
"China and Kazakhstan are good neighbors, reliable and strategic
partners. The leaders of our countries have set a clear goal: to
elevate trade and economic cooperation to a new, higher level and
significantly increase the volume of mutual trade. Thanks to the
coordinated efforts of our agencies, trade in agricultural products
is showing stable positive dynamics. Today's meeting is a clear
testament to the mutual interest and desire to deepen cooperation
in key areas, such as phytosanitary and veterinary control and
ensuring food safety," emphasized Sun Meijun.
By the end of 2024, the trade turnover of agricultural products
between Kazakhstan and China amounted to $1.4 billion, an increase
of 10.5 percent. Of this, $1.05 billion was from exports. The main
exports included animal feed, grains, oilseeds, and vegetable oils:
in 2024, exports of animal feed to China increased by 485 percent,
vegetable oils by 26 percent, and rapeseed oil by 57 percent.
