BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 7. Kazakhstan’s Food Contract Corporation (Prodcorp) is ready to consider long-term contracts to supply Oman with 200,000 to 500,000 tons of grain per year, the company’s Chairman Asylkhan Dzhuvashev said at the Kazakhstan-Oman Business Forum in Astana, according to the Kazakh Ministry of Agriculture.
Dzhuvashev said Kazakhstan could become a reliable food supplier for Oman, adding that Prodcorp has more than 2 million tons of grain in its reserves on a permanent basis.
“We are interested in developing direct exports of Kazakh grain to the Sultanate of Oman and are ready to consider long-term contracts for volumes ranging from 200,000 to 500,000 tons per year,” the head of Prodcorp said.
Representatives of the two countries discussed cooperation in the agro-industrial sector, logistics, the oil and gas and chemical industries, and infrastructure development.
Dzhuvashev also noted that Kazakhstan has harvested a good crop of high-quality hi-pro wheat with high protein and gluten content this season. Prodcorp is ready to ensure stable supplies of such wheat to Omani partners, as well as other grain crops depending on market demand, he added.
Addressing investors, government representatives and food companies from Oman, Dzhuvashev invited them to develop joint projects with Kazakh businesses.
One of the promising areas could be the creation of a grain hub and a strategic grain reserve for Oman in Kazakhstan.
“Such a mechanism would allow the necessary stocks to be formed in advance directly in the producing country, grain to be purchased during the most favorable market periods and subsequently shipped to Oman as needed. For the Omani side, this would provide an additional opportunity to diversify sources of supply and strengthen national food security,” the head of Prodcorp said.
It was noted that the development of logistics cooperation with Oman could open new routes for Kazakh agricultural products to markets in South Asia and East Africa. The use of Omani ports could also increase the reliability of food supplies between Central Asia and the Persian Gulf region.
The forum was held as part of Omani Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said’s state visit to Kazakhstan on October 5-6 at the invitation of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
