Kazakhstan, Astana, April 3 / Trend D. Mukhtarov /
A land plot has been rented for the Kazakh National Grain Company Food Corporation to construct a grain elevator, president of the Kazakh Grain Union Nurlan Tleubayev said in an exclusive interview with Trend.
"The Food Corporation aims to expand its markets," he said. "It has obtained a land plot to rent in Iran's border province. It will build a grain elevator in partnership with the Iranian company."
He added that in the same way, the Food Corporation has already built a grain terminal in the Iranian port of Amirabad with the Iranian company.
"Kazakh grain will be delivered to the new elevator by railway wagons," he stressed. "Afterwards, it will be shipped away by vehicles to other elevators, including those located on the Persian Gulf."
He underscored that Iran is ready to receive 200,000 tons of Kazakh grain per month. At present, the republic delivers only 50,000-65,000 tons of grain per month through the port of Amirabad.
"Iran is a lucrative market for Kazakhstan," he added. "The price of our grain is not less than $200 per ton, while it is only $140 per ton in the ports of the Black Sea."
He stressed that the republic will be able to export grain to the amount of 13 million tons in the 2011-2012 trading year.
"We had great crop last year," he added." Seven months of our trading year have passed. One can say that we will ship nine million tons of wheat and four million tons of flour for export in the 2011-2012 trading year. In total, we will ship 13 million tons of wheat for export."
Kazakhstan is among the largest grain exporters on the world markets. In 2011 the republic had a record harvest of nearly 27 million tons of grain in net weight. Earlier it was reported that Kazakhstan plans to export 15 million tons of grain in the current year.