2000-02-07 Kazak Politics & MacroEconomics - Kazakhstan Helps Ease Russian Grain Shortage
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Kazakhstan Helps Ease Russian Grain Shortage
Kazakhstan shipped a record 534,500 tonnes of grain to Russia in December, helping to ease a grain shortfall for its northern neighbour, SovEcon Ltd. reported. The grain imports from Kazakhstan will allow Russia to direct some of its own low-end grain to cover a shortage in animal feed.
Kazakhstani farmers harvested a respectable 16 million tonnes of grain (gross weight) last year, more than double 1998’s meagre harvest. Despite the December high, grain exports are likely to decrease between January and March as many silos are located far from railway stations and are cut off from transport routes during the winter.
Even so, average grain shipments for the first half of this year could still range between 300,000 and 500,000 tonnes. Total wheat deliveries for the 1999/2000 season are forecast at 3.5 to four million tonnes. (Golden Eagle Partners)