Kazakhstan self-sufficient in most staple food products – Minister
Kazakhstan fully meets domestic demand for most staple food products, with self-sufficiency exceeding 100% for several key commodities, Qazinform News Agency quotes Trade and Integration Minister Arman Shakkaliyev as saying at a Government's meeting.
Shakkaliyev said Kazakhstan is fully self-sufficient in sunflower oil, flour, rice, potatoes, onions, carrots, pasta, beef, and lamb, while domestic demand for milk and eggs is almost entirely met.
"Today, Kazakhstan fully meets domestic demand for most staple food products. Self-sufficiency exceeds 100% for sunflower oil, flour, rice, potatoes, onions, carrots, pasta, beef, and lamb. Domestic demand for milk and eggs is also almost fully covered," he said.
He also reported that domestic trade turnover reached 36.2 trillion tenge in the first half of the year, up 15.3% from the same period last year.
The strongest contribution came from the food sector, which expanded by nearly 30%.
At the same time, Kazakh producers continue to strengthen their position in international markets. Food exports rose 34.4% year-on-year to $1.6 billion in the January-May period.
"At the same time, the domestic market's dependence on critical imports continues to decline. Their share has fallen to 14.7%, reflecting growing domestic demand for locally produced goods," the minister said.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Agriculture Minister Aidarbek Saparov held a meeting with Athanasios Platanias and Josef Braunshofer, executives of the Greek company Desserta Hellas, to discuss investment cooperation in Kazakhstan's dairy industry.
