Azerbaijan, Baku, March 15 / Trend E. Kosolapova/
The Kazakh Aktau International Sea Port's grain terminal transshipped 307,000 tons of grain in 2011, the Kazakh Agriculture Ministry reported.
In 2011 Kazakh grain were supplied to 20 companies in 8 countries Iran (the main exporter of Kazakh grain), Azerbaijan, Turkey, Greece, Albania, Cyprus, Italy and Georgia.
The Aktau port's grain terminal allows Kazakh exporters to sell their grain directly, bypassing border points. Thus, the port ensures a stable distribution of Kazakh grain at competitive prices.
According to the Ministry's forecasts, the grain terminal will transship 600,000 - 700,000 tons of grain in 2012 in case of favorable weather conditions and absence of negative factors.
The design capacity of Aktau port's grain terminal makes up 500 tons per year. Its 100-percent shareholder is Kazakh National Food Contract Corporation.
Kazakhstan is one of the world's largest grain exporters. In 2011 Kazakhstan collected almost 27 million tons of grain in net weight. This is a record grain harvest within the years of independence. Eight million tons of grain harvest will be used for domestic consumption. Export potential is estimated at 15 million tons.
Aktau port, located on the east coast of the Caspian Sea, is Kazakhstan's only port for international transportation of various dry cargo, crude oil and petroleum products. The port was established as a transport hub of several types of transport such as rail, road, water and pipeline. The Aktau port is a part of three international transport corridors - TRACECA, North-South and INOGATE.