February 17, 2006

Kazakhstan's 2006 grain harvest seen up 10 percent

Kazakhstan's 2006 grain harvest is likely to total 14.9 million tonnes in clean weight, up 10 percent from 13.5 million tonnes in 2005, Arman Evniev, head of the agriculture ministry's Farming Department said Thursday, according to the ministry's press service.

Evniev said the 2006 planted area would remain about the same as 2005 at 14.5 million hectares, but an increase in yield would be achieved through investment in irrigation systems.

Evniev forecast grain exports in the 2006/07 marketing year at between 3 million and 3.5 million tonnes, but said all would depend on the harvests in Russia and Ukraine, which compete with Kazakhstan on the world grain markets.