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In 2008 Azerbaijan Can Do without Grain Import from Kazakhstan: Agriculture Ministry

Business Materials 19 August 2008 12:23 (UTC +04:00)

Azerbaijan, Baku, 19 August / Trend corr. S.Babayeva / There is enough grain reserves in Azerbaijan and we can do without the Kazakh import, said Sabir Valiyev, the head of the production, processing plant growing products and state management of food reserves Department of the Azerbaijani Agriculture Ministry.

"Production rose considerably in our country in 2008. Currently, harvest is being gathered which reaches 2.4mln tons," he said.

In September, the Kazakh Government will lift ban imposed on wheat export in April.

According to the foreign media, thus, Kazakhstan, the hugest grain producer in the Central Asia, tried to protect interior market on the background of world price rise on grain.

Given harvest and grain reserves in the country, the general volume of food grain reserves reaches 1.6mln tons, with 1.5mln tons of annual demand, Valiyev said.

If necessary, Azerbaijan purchases grain not only from Kazakhstan, but also from Russia and Ukraine.

Azerbaijan's annual grain need amounts to 3mln tons and 1mln of them is imported.

Earlier the Azerbaijani Agriculture Ministry forecasted grain production in 2008 at 2.3mln tons, with 3mln demand and 1.5mln of them account for bread grain.

The correspondent can be contacted at: [email protected]

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