In recent years, there has been a significant reduction in flour exports and an increase in wheat supplies from Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. An alarming situation in the milling industry of South Kazakhstan was announced in the Shymkent Chamber of Entrepreneurs. According to the chamber, about 70% of Shymkent flour mills do not function, due to a decrease in the volume of the external sales market this year, as well as the high cost of wheat.
An analysis of the development of the flour-grinding industry in Kazakhstan indicates a significant decrease in flour exports to Tajikistan over the past five years (by 73.3%) and to Uzbekistan (by 26.7%). At the same time, grain supplies to Tajikistan increased from 773,700 tons to 1,000,000 tons, to Uzbekistan from 1,000,000 tons to 2,300,000 tons.
The expert of the project support department of the Chamber of Entrepreneurs of Shymkent Bauyrzhan Berdaliev notes that importers of Kazakh wheat are becoming competitors of Kazakhstan flour mills in the world flour market. Thus, Uzbekistan, which accounts for 71.1% of the total wheat exports of Kazakhstan, intercepts the main foreign buyer of Kazakh flour - Afghanistan. "Now, in fact, they (the Uzbek millers - ed.) Are equal in export volumes of flour supplies to Afghanistan with Kazakhstan. But the volume of $ 267,300 could be ours. We lost this volume over the year, as Uzbekistan increases the export of flour to Afghanistan on our raw materials which we could process ourselves," Berdaliev said. Kazakh producers have repeatedly stated that Uzbek companies sell flour to Afghanistan made from grain purchased in Kazakhstan. According to some reports, the flour exported by Uzbeks is almost half made from Kazakh raw materials. Due to the high cost of rail transit, restrictions on the import of flour and the like, Kazakh finished products are more expensive and can not compete with Uzbekistan.
Source: kazakh-zerno.net.
