• KGS/USD = 0.01170 0%
  • KZT/USD = 0.00206 0%
  • TJS/USD = 0.09378 0%
  • UZS/USD = 0.00008 0%
  • TMT/USD = 0.28490 0%
  • KGS/USD = 0.01170 0%
  • KZT/USD = 0.00206 0%
  • TJS/USD = 0.09378 0%
  • UZS/USD = 0.00008 0%
  • TMT/USD = 0.28490 0%
  • KGS/USD = 0.01170 0%
  • KZT/USD = 0.00206 0%
  • TJS/USD = 0.09378 0%
  • UZS/USD = 0.00008 0%
  • TMT/USD = 0.28490 0%
  • KGS/USD = 0.01170 0%
  • KZT/USD = 0.00206 0%
  • TJS/USD = 0.09378 0%
  • UZS/USD = 0.00008 0%
  • TMT/USD = 0.28490 0%
  • KGS/USD = 0.01170 0%
  • KZT/USD = 0.00206 0%
  • TJS/USD = 0.09378 0%
  • UZS/USD = 0.00008 0%
  • TMT/USD = 0.28490 0%
  • KGS/USD = 0.01170 0%
  • KZT/USD = 0.00206 0%
  • TJS/USD = 0.09378 0%
  • UZS/USD = 0.00008 0%
  • TMT/USD = 0.28490 0%
  • KGS/USD = 0.01170 0%
  • KZT/USD = 0.00206 0%
  • TJS/USD = 0.09378 0%
  • UZS/USD = 0.00008 0%
  • TMT/USD = 0.28490 0%
  • KGS/USD = 0.01170 0%
  • KZT/USD = 0.00206 0%
  • TJS/USD = 0.09378 0%
  • UZS/USD = 0.00008 0%
  • TMT/USD = 0.28490 0%
15 October 2024

Viewing results 1 - 6 of 3

China and Afghanistan are the Main Importers of Kazakh Grain and Flour

In January-September 2024, Kazakhstan’s national railways company, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), transported 6.6 million tons of Kazakh grain and 2.7 million tons of flour. Of that amount, 5 million tons of grain and 2.1 million tons of flour were exported. KTZ Managing Director Bauyrzhan Urynbasarov announced this at a government meeting on October 7. According to Urynbasarov, Kazakhstan exported grain mainly to neighboring Central Asian countries (2.9 million tons), China (1.3 million tons), and Afghanistan (127,000 tons). Kazakhstan resumed grain supplies to Iran (211,000 tons), and 423,000 tons of grain were exported to Italy, Turkey, and Russia. From January to September, 495,000 tons of flour were exported to Central Asian countries, 639,000 tons to China, and 666,000 tons to Afghanistan. At the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin said that Kazakhstan must supply 2 million tons of grain to China this year, but the figure can be increased to 3 million tons. He also ordered an increase in flour supplies to Afghanistan. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, as of October 7, Kazakhstan had completed harvesting 93.2% of grain crops on 15.5 million hectares, and 23.5 million tons of grain had been threshed.

The Future of Transit in Kazakhstan

Increasing the volume of transit cargo through Kazakhstan is a strategic priority for the nation as it aims to become a transportation and logistics hub in Central Asia and the Caspian region, with its railways at the forefront of this effort. TCA spoke with Asem Mukhamedieva, Managing Director for New Projects at KTZ Express JSC, about the company’s current capabilities, prospects, and new projects in this direction.   Kazakhstan’s Role in Transit Cargo TCA: Kazakhstan, has become a vital land transportation corridor between Asia and Europe. How does Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) contribute to further increasing transit cargo, and what trends have you observed? Mukhamedieva-  The volume of transit handled by KTZ Express in the first eight months of this year reached approximately 350,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU). The China-Europe-China route saw a 36% increase, while the China to Central Asia route grew by 17%. Notably, the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) dispatched 220 container trains, a twenty-fold increase from last year. TCA: What new routes have been launched, and what is KTZ doing to increase them? - KTZ is continuously expanding its transportation network and logistics services. One significant development is the Trans-Afghan route, which was launched this May. Under a pilot project, containers with aluminosilicate hollow microspheres were shipped from Pavlodar to Jebel Ali Port via Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the UAE. Offering competitive terms and tariffs has encouraged more cargo traffic along this route. In July, we cut delivery times in half — down to just five days — on the Xi’an-Altynkol-Tashkent route, compared to the previous 10-12 days. This success is largely due to the new terminal in Xi’an, built by KTZ and its Chinese partners. The terminal consolidates cargo from various Chinese provinces, streamlining logistics processes and significantly improving efficiency. We also launched several new logistics services to boost cargo traffic and strengthen international links. For example, in June, we introduced a regular South Korea-China-Kazakhstan-Central Asia route. We also reopened a previously unprofitable route from China to Iran and back, reducing costs by collaborating with Chinese partners.   The Growing Importance of the Trans-Caspian Route TCA: You mentioned the growth of the TITR. Could you elaborate on the regions of China involved, the types of cargo, and what steps are being taken to attract more shipments? -  The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) has become a critical link in Eurasian logistics. This year, the route achieved remarkable growth. In September, we welcomed the 200th train dispatched via TITR at the Port of Aktau. Transit volumes for the first eight months of this year surpassed annual totals from previous years. Xi'an province leads in shipments, accounting for 57% of the total volume on this route. Other key provinces include Yiwu, Chongqing, Sanping, and Henan. Major markets for these shipments are Azerbaijan (62%), Georgia (23%), Turkey (7%), and EU countries (9%). Over 200 different commodity items were transported, with automobiles, components, textiles, and electronics making up 56% of the total. To maintain this momentum, we are working...

Special Report: Prospects Look Good for Kazakh Wheat Exports

According to the International Grains Council, Kazakhstan's wheat harvest for the 2024/2025 season is expected to reach 16 million tons. As the harvesting campaign begins, the country's lack of elevator capacity and the problem of mainline railroads are concerns. Idle trains are still a problem, which leads to the introduction of regular restrictions and bans on the acceptance and shipment of wheat due to congestion on the railroad. Market participants note that the railroad cannot cope with the volume of shipments during the autumn rush, with its infrastructural ceiling on shipments at only 1 million tons of grain per month. This leads to a collapse at border railroad crossings and, consequently, a price drop in the domestic market. One obvious solution is to expand Kazakhstan's elevator capacity and grain storage facilities; this is one of the reasons for the increased load on the railroad infrastructure. Thus, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, 191 licensed grain-receiving enterprises have a total storage capacity of more than 13.2 million tons. In addition, agricultural producers have storage capacities for 15.8 million tons of grain, which, as the ministry assures, is enough to store grain considering the projected harvest. Also, according to the ministry, the construction of new grain storage facilities and the expansion of existing ones are envisaged. In 2024-2026, it plans to operate five granaries with a capacity of 30,200 tons. The national railway company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) has already established a grain headquarters, involving representatives from local executive bodies, the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs "Atameken," and shippers. This headquarters ensures adequate transportation for the upcoming season's harvest. As Salamat Abzhaliyev, Deputy General Director for Marketing and Planning of KTZ-Gruzovye Transportations LLP, noted during the briefing held at the end of August, for seven months of the current year, the total volume of grain loading on the network of railroads of the country amounted to 4.7 million tons. Only in Kazakhstan did wheat transportation increase by 3%, amounting to 1.1 million tons. An important factor affecting the efficiency of transporting grain and milling products is the availability of specialized wagons. In addition to boxcars, grain carriers are designed to transport these specific cargoes. Today, the total fleet of boxcars and grain cars on the railroad is about 16,000 and 12,000, respectively. According to KTZ, this fleet is sufficient to fulfill all agreed transportation plans. According to forecasts of the International Grain Council, the export of Kazakhstani wheat in the 2024/2025 season is projected at 10 million tons. During the first six months of the year, 2.4 million tons of wheat have already been shipped. The main buyers of domestic grain are traditionally Uzbekistan, China, Tajikistan, Italy, and Afghanistan. Grain exports to China have grown 5.7 times in the last three years, which makes China a key export destination. China is ready to accept large volumes of grain from Kazakhstan. Today, the country buys about 10 million tons of wheat worldwide, including from Kazakhstan. However, further development of trade is constrained by limited transportation...