Kazakhstan does not intend to place a ban on wheat exports during the 2008-2009 marketing year, Agriculture Minister Akylbek Kurishbayev said at a government meeting on September 19.
"The Food Corporation will purchase 450,000 tons of grain from this year's harvest for the state reserve (286,000 tons have already been purchased) and 600,000 tons for the regional stabilization funds (397,000 tons have already been purchased). Thus, we are going to purchase approximately 1 million tons, or 30 per cent of the volume we need. These measures will keep us from closing the borders in the current [marketing] year and banning grain exports," he said.

 

Kurishbayev also said that 16.3 million tons of grain in bunker weight has been harvested from 96 per cent of the planted area in the country. "The gross grain harvest is expected to total 17 million tons in bunker weight," he said.

 

The quality of the grain harvested thus far has been very high, he said. "Class one through three wheat accounts for 91 per cent of the grain harvested so far. Demand for our grain should be high this year," he said.

 

Kazakhstan had banned wheat exports from mid-April 2008 until September 1, although no restrictions were placed on flour exports. The decision was based on the need to ensure the country's food safety and insure the domestic market was protected against the significant rise in prices in the global grain market and a shortage of food grain throughout the world.

 

Kazakhstan increased its grain harvest 22 per cent to a record 20.1 million tons in net weight in 2007, including 16.6 million tons of wheat compared to 13.5 million tons of wheat in 2006. The country consumes approximately 10 million-11 million tons of grain per year.