The season of active railway transportation of grain cargo is coming. Taking into account their social significance, it is extremely important for JSC "Astyk Trans" to provide wagons and a high-quality level of customer service, especially during the peak autumn-winter season for transportation. To date, there are 4,800 grain wagons under management of JSC "Astyk Trans".
Being a leading forwarder for grain cargo transportation in Kazakhstan, we have a wide geography of transportation. Therefore, according to the results of 6 months of 2022, the Company's share in export traffic amounted to 40%, in intra–republican - 82%.
Definitely, the total volume of transportation directly depends on the availability of grain cargoes in the country, on the demand for them and, accordingly, the cost. Against the background of a low harvest last year, the forecast data of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan for the future harvest are especially significant. Favorable weather conditions, timely conduct of spring field work give the right to expect yields higher than last year's figures. The planned increase in wheat alone will be 15-20%.
In Kazakhstan, about 6 million tons of wheat annually goes to domestic consumption, the remaining part, and according to the plan of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 7-7.5 million tons will be exported. The forecast yield of the current year gives grounds to plan the growth of demand for rail transportation and the corresponding volume of applications from customers. In addition, a record harvest is planned to be harvested in Russia over 130 million tons according to official data of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation. Taking into account the attractiveness of the tariff policy in the Russian Federation, a sufficient level of demand and, most importantly, the high exchange rate of the ruble against the tenge, some Kazakh transport companies may reorient themselves to the Russian grain market, which will certainly affect the market of grain cargo transportation in Kazakhstan with a shortage of wagons.
One of effective solutions that optimizes costs and resources is the routing of grain transportation. According to the results of previous seasons, all participants in the process were convinced of this - the delivery time was significantly reduced, the turnover of customers' funds accelerated, the freight forwarder's loading resources increased, in general, an increase in the volume of grain transportation was noted. On the eve of the mass grain transportation of "Harvest of 2022", the Company retains the priority of routing grain cargo transportation.
In recent years, JSC "Astyk Trans” is actively developing a loyalty policy, individually considering the requests of each client, prioritizing providing wagons to customers who stayed with us during the surplus of the wagon fleet. We will keep this principle in the season of active rail transportation.
Each marketing season has its own peculiarities, however, the Company hopes for the loyalty of its Customers, and encourages traders to carry out transportation in the Kazakh fleet, which will create conditions for the preservation and expansion of the Kazakh fleet of grain carriers, thereby maintaining stability in this market and independence from other countries participating in the grain market and the grain transportation market.