Kazakhstan negotiating grain supplies to South Korea

The Grain Union of Kazakhstan is negotiating grain shipments with South Korean importers, according to Daulet Uvashev, the managing director at Food Contract Corporation.

"The Grain Union of Kazakhstan is working through the matter of grain shipments to South Korea through China," Uvashev said. Discussions with South Korea on shipment size, and with China on transit fees, are now underway, he said.

"Japan is also prepared to consider the possibility of buying Kazakh wheat to be transported through the territory of China," Uvashev said.

Kazakhstan's gross grain harvest weighed in at 22.7 million tonnes (bunker weight) last year, and 20 million tonnes after cleaning. The country may be able to export 9-10 million tonnes of grain during the current marketing year.