Uzbekistan and China became the leaders in the list of importers of agricultural products from Kazakhstan in 2023. Uzbekistan took first place with a volume of $1.5 billion. China took second place with a figure of $1 billion, the APK News agency reports.
As the Minister of Agriculture Aidarbek Saparov said, China is the largest market for agricultural products for Kazakhstan's agriculture. Mutual supply of agricultural products between Kazakhstan and China is increasing every year and has positive dynamics. In 2023, the turnover of agricultural products between Kazakhstan and China amounted to $1.3 billion, which is 67% more than in the same period of 2022. In 2023, the volume of agricultural exports to China doubled and amounted to $1 billion. The volume of imports from China amounted to $290 million, which is at the level of the same period last year.
Over the first 5 months of this year, trade turnover increased by 14% and amounted to about $540 million. Export volume amounted to $380 million.
The main volume of exports to China is grain and oilseeds, various types of oils, and we import vegetables and nuts.
The Chinese market is of great interest for the export of Kazakhstani grain
According to the results of 2023, about 1.4 million tons of grain were exported to China (wheat - 538 thousand tons, barley - 880 thousand tons), while in 2022 about 259 thousand tons of grain were exported (36 thousand tons of wheat, 223 thousand tons of barley).
In 2023, about 631 thousand tons of oilseeds were exported (2022 - 404 thousand tons), including flaxseed - 305 thousand tons (2022 - 168 thousand tons), sunflower - 204 thousand tons (2022 -189 thousand tons), and other oilseeds - 123 thousand tons (2022 - 47 thousand tons).
Things are also improving with livestock farming
To date, Kazakhstan has signed protocols with China on the export of 27 types of products to the Chinese market, including 18 crop products and 9 livestock products.
Currently, 9 companies exporting livestock products and 728 companies exporting crop products are awaiting inclusion in the PRC importer register. In total, 1948 crop production enterprises and 40 livestock enterprises are included in the PRC register.
In order to expand the export of livestock products to China, the possibility of coordinating veterinary requirements for the export of another 10 types of agricultural products to China is being worked out, including cattle hides, dry mare's milk, frozen poultry meat and poultry products, horse meat, offal obtained from the slaughter of animals, meat products that have undergone high heat treatment, as well as chilled beef and lamb.
What projects with the participation of Chinese companies have already been implemented in Kazakhstan?
Production of rapeseed oil in the North Kazakhstan region of Taiynsha Mai LLP. The plant for the production of vegetable oil was commissioned in 2016. The Chinese company AIJU invested 6.1 billion tenge in the enterprise. The design capacity for raw materials is 300 thousand tons of processed oilseeds, for finished products - 165 thousand tons of oil. Raw materials - rapeseed, sunflower, flax seeds are purchased from farmers in the region.
2. Since 2018, a plant for the processing and production of dry camel and mare's milk has been operating in Turkestan. The project was implemented by the largest Chinese company whose activities are focused on the processing of agricultural products, Golden Camel Group. The amount of investment is 7 billion tenge. The company's capacity is 1.5 thousand tons.
3. Together with Lihua Spinning Technology Co., Ltd, a project for growing cotton was implemented in the Turkestan region. The cost of the project with a capacity of more than 9 thousand tons of elite varieties of cotton is 4.3 billion tenge.
4. Kazmeal LLP, together with a Chinese investor, implemented a project in the North Kazakhstan region to produce compound feed for animals kept on farms. The capacity of the enterprise is 1,400 tons / day. In 2023, almost 158 thousand tons of products were produced, and since the beginning of this year, more than 105 thousand tons.
What projects are in the future?
1.Construction of a plant for deep processing of wheat into lysine, wheat gluten and bioethanol in Kostanay. The capacity of the new Qostanay Grain Industry plant will be 430 thousand tons of deep processing of wheat per year. Amino acids, bioethanol, gluten, animal feed, wheat bran will be produced here. The launch of the enterprise is scheduled for 2027.
2. Modernization of the plant for deep processing of corn in the Almaty region, increasing the production capacity of the AsiaAgroFood plant from 200 to 300 tons per day.
3. At the business council of the Ministry of Agriculture, together with the Chinese company Eavision, an agreement was reached on cooperation in launching a plant for assembling drones, as well as a showroom for farmers.
4. There is an intention to implement TOO Asyl Farms together with the Chinese company STECOL-FAMSUN Joint Venture a project to build livestock complexes in the North Kazakhstan region for 10 thousand heads of dairy cattle. Investment amount - $100 million.
5. In the Zhambyl region, Batu Agro LLP, together with the Chinese company Hebei Lu Gang Ji Tuan Co., Ltd, is working on the construction of a flour mill for the production of feed flour from wheat, barley, and corn for cattle and small cattle. The production capacity is 50 thousand tons per month. The sales market is China.
The PRC signed 10 important documents with the Republic of Kazakhstan:
A Protocol on veterinary requirements and animal health protection imposed on live cattle exported for slaughter from the Republic of Kazakhstan to the PRC was signed between the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the General Administration of Customs of the PRC.
2. Northwest University of Agriculture and Forestry of China, Kazakh Agrotechnical Research University named after S. Seifullin, North Kazakhstan University named after M. Kozybayev and Shakarim University signed an Agreement on the joint creation of the Kazakh-Chinese center for smart agriculture. It is expected that the new training center will become a platform for exchanging experience between scientists in the agricultural sector and developing joint projects in the breeding direction.
3. NAO "Kazakh National Agrarian Research University" and "China Agricultural University", Dayu Irrigation Group Co., Ltd agreed to cooperate in the creation of a Kazakh-Chinese international laboratory for highly efficient water use in arid areas.
4. A framework agreement on cooperation was signed between the Ministry and the Meat Union of the PRC.
5. The Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan will also cooperate with Suzhou Eavision Robotics in the field of introducing intelligent drones for plant protection in agriculture.