Kazakhstan's grain harvest nearly complete; aims to export 12 million tonnes

ASTANA, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Kazakh farmers have threshed 26.5 million metric tons of grain, with the harvest 99.7 percent complete, officials said on Wednesday, adding that the Central Asian country aims to export 12 million tons of this year’s crop. The government in Astana also hopes to resolve issues with Russia, which has restricted the transit of Kazakh grain, in the near future, Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin said. Deputy Trade Minister Kairat Torebayev said Kazakhstan could export 7 million to 7.5 million tons of wheat, 1.3 million to 1.4 million tons of barley, 300,000 tons of corn and 1 million tons of oilseeds this season. Last season, Kazakhstan lost its share in many markets, Torebayev said, after harvesting just 16.6 million tonnes of grain and facing stiff price competition. The country has not published official data on exports in the 2023/24 marketing season, but the US Department of Agriculture estimated them at 10.5 million tonnes. This season, ...