On September 11, 2019, a meeting of the VI annual Public Council of participants of Kazakhstan’s grain rail transportation was held in Nur-Sultan.
This year, the event became an international platform for discussing issues for all participants in the grain market: government agencies, traders, freight forwarders, transport companies, associations of legal entities, surveyors and representatives of the railway administrations of Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
The meeting was attended by the heads of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Ministry of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Railways, Kaztemirtrans, KTZ Express, Food Contract Corporation, Rusagrotrans, Middle Corridoe International Association, Grain Union of Kazakhstan, Union of Grain Processors and Bakers of Kazakhstan, Kazmortransflot, Demirellary (Turkmenistan), Uzzheldorexpedition (Uzbekistan Railways), Glenkor Agricuture Kazakhstan and others.
“Export of grain and flour is a significant commodity item of Kazakhstan's export. According to the results of 2018, the export volume of these products amounted to 1.4 billion US dollars (grain - 965,447.4 thousand US dollars, flour - 445,997.7 thousand US dollars). Our newly formed ministry will make efforts to strengthen the position of these Kazakhstani goods in foreign markets. Today, in order to coordinate government support measures, we have created a Single window for supporting exporters on the basis of the Trade Policy Development Center. This center was named QazTrade”, said Mr. Azamat Askaruly, the Vice Minister of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Also the issues of transportation of Kazakhstani grain harvested in 2019 were discussed during the meeting, including: new volumes, new routes and prospects for further development of transport logistics, state policy in production field, trade and processing of grain and oilseeds.
Grain market experts shared their forecasts for this year's crop. All experts agreed that the gross harvest of crops is planned to be less than last year's 20 million tons. Accordingly, this will undoubtedly affect the number of shipments both domestically and in export directions.
Mr. S. Yelyubayev, the President of Astyk Trans JSC, noted that today the Company’s total rolling stock is more than 6,300 hopper wagons, fully ready for transportation season.
