Kazakhstan doubles agricultural exports to CU countries

22:35, 24 April 2014

ASTANA. KAZINFORM Kazakh agricultural producers increased their exports to the CU countries more than twofold in 2013, while the growth rate of imports from Russia and Belarus dropped dramatically, Agriculture Minister Assylzhan Mamytbekov told a meeting of the Business Council under the Ministry of Agriculture.

"Agricultural producers in Kazakhstan benefit by the integration. Exports to the CU countries increased by 208% in 2013 compared with 2012. The increase in exports is also seen in the field of processing of agricultural products. So, in 2013 the total exports of processed agricultural products increased by 60% if compared with 2012," Mamytbekov said.

He stressed that within the framework of the CU Kazakh farmers expand their opportunities in the external and internal market. Thus, the growth rate of import of agricultural products to Kazakhstan from the CU countries decreased from 44% in 2012 to 3% in 2013, the primeminister.kz reports.

According to the Agriculture Ministry, with the creation of the Customs Union Kazakh agricultural producers have got the market of about 170 million consumers and a combined GDP of about 1.8 trillion U.S. dollars. Kazakhstan exported agricultural products worth about 1 billion dollars to Russia and Belarus over the past three years.

Government of Kazakhstan Agriculture Government Agro-industrial complex development