April 20, 2012

Kazakhstan ready to increase grain export to Azerbaijan

Kazakh deputy minister of agriculture Marat Tolybaev told journalists in Baku on Thursday (Apr 19) that the country is prepared to increase its grain exports to Azerbaijan.

"We are ready to supply grain to all the markets of Central Asia and Caucasus," he added. "We hope that Azerbaijan will be Kazakhstan's reliable partner in this area."

He said that Kazakhstan collected a record grain crop to the amount of over 30 million tonnes in 2011.

"There was no such harvest in Kazakhstan in Soviet times," Tolybaev said.

Tolybaev participates in the 28th European Regional Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the 37th session of the European Commission on Agriculture Thursday (Apr 19).

"Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are leaders in their regions, so that both countries have similar problems and goals," he said. "We can help each other and cooperate."

Last year, Azerbaijan bought about 1.3 million tonnes of grain from Kazakhstan and about a half a million tonnes this year.

Kazakhstan is among the world's largest grain exporters. A record harvest - nearly 27 million tonnes of grain in net weight was collected in 2011. Export potential was estimated at 15 million tonnes.

The yields of grain production in Azerbaijan as of 2011 was 25.4 centner per hectare compared to 20.7 centner/hectare as of 2010. About 2,458,500 tonnes of grain were produced in 2011, or 23% more than in 2010. Azerbaijan's need for grain is three million tonnes.