Kazakhstan will harvest about 16 million metric tons of grains in 2013, according to Guljahan Kurbanova, a Budapest-based economist with the United Nations’ Food & Agriculture Organization, raising a July forecast for 15.2 million tons, , reported the IA “Kazakh-Zerno” with the reference to “Kazinform”.
The FAO expects the country’s grain exports to remain at about 7 million tons in the 2013-14 marketing year on logistical constraints and “fierce” market competition, particularly from Russia and Ukraine, Kurbanova wrote yesterday in an e-mailed response to questions from Bloomberg.
The Central Asian country exported 7.1 million tons in 2012-13, according to Ministry of Agriculture data, on a harvest of 12.86 million tons. The government earlier this month raised its harvest forecast to about 16.3 million tons, from 15 million tons in late July. Deputy Agriculture Minister Muslim Umiryayev said July 25 that grain exports may be 7 million to 8 million tons in 2013-14, kazinform refers to Bloomberg.
Rains last month may affect crop quality, Kurbanova said.
“Unfortunately, the latest weather developments create concerns, as one of the major advantages of Kazakh grain is its high quality,” Kurbanova wrote.
