Kazakhstan supplied trial consignment of wheat to China
BEIJING. July 7. KAZINFORM /Talgat Baimukhambetov/ In conformity with the Memorandum of mutual understanding signed between KazAgro National Holding and China national cereals oils & foodstuffs imp & exp Corp. (COFCO - China's largest national corporation on export and import of agricultural products) in April 2008, Kazakhstani side represented by Prodcorporation NC JSC has supplied trial consignment of high-quality wheat.
As director of the Beijing office of Prodcorporation Kanat Akhanov informed, the 25 tons consignment of wheat was delivered to Alashankou on July 3. Further movement of the cargo on Chinese territory will be possible as soon as customs procedures are over.
The National Holding and the COFCO plan to discuss an opportunity of construction of a grain terminal on the border between Kazakhstan and China. Thus, a project on building a grain terminal in the area of Dostyk-Alashankou border crossing point was considered.
China is the largest world producer of grain. However, growth of the number and incomes of the population impacts on growth of consumption of grain products, meat, milk and eggs. Demand for grain in China increases by 2 mln tons annually; therefore the Chinese Government takes a package of measures for increasing grain production. Alongside China's import of food products including grain rises. According to western experts, the reasons of this lie in lack of irrigation of lands, rural-to-urban migration, continuing population growth and the disasters in the main agrarian areas of the country.
So, in the opinion of Kazakhstan exporters of grain, China remains the most perspective market in Asia in spite of the developed agricultural base.