Kazakhstan to increase export of agricultural products to Iran

Kazakhstan and Iran can complement each other in the field of agricultural industry.

This was announced by Iran's Agriculture Minister Mahmoud Hojjati at a meeting with Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Askar Myrzakhmetov who headed the Kazakh delegation to Tehran.

Issues of lifting the restrictions on import of Kazakh wheat, attracting investments, speeding up the approval of certificates for several types of livestock products and providing the Iranian party with requirements for cattle importation and frozen and chilled beef from Kazakhstan were discussed during the meeting.

'We are an importer of barley, oilseeds, red meat and light and heavy livestock and Kazakhstan can supply our demand in these areas. In return, Iran is among the biggest producers of dairy, milk powder, eggs and poultry. There is demand in Kazakhstan for these products and Iran can supply them, Hojjati said, Mehr News Agency reported.

The official added that there is high capacity in Kazakhstan for expanding aquaculture due to abundant water resources.

'Iran is the biggest producer of coldwater fish and trout in the world. We are ready to export these products and cooperate in producing these types of fish in Kazakhstan, he said.

The Iranian side also expressed its readiness to provide seeds of rice varieties. To this end, an appropriate plan for the implementation of the investment project will be developed.

Myrzakhmetov, who is also Kazakhstan's minister of agriculture, said his country is ready to meet part of Iran's demand for rice by cultivating the seeds of Iranian rice in Kazakh farmlands.

Following the visit, the agreements on the possibility of launching joint investment projects in the production and processing of rice and priority oilseeds with their further export through the ports of the Caspian Sea to Iran were reached.

As part of his visit, Myrzakhmetov also held a meeting with Iranian Minister of Industries, Mine, and Trade Mohammad Shariatmadari, during which the sides discussed issues of lifting the restriction on import of Kazakh wheat and the abolition of the 'flag tax by the Government of Iran with the aim of creating equal conditions between Kazakhstan and Iranian shipping companies in the Caspian Sea. The Iranian side expressed its readiness to waive visas for commercial purposes.

The purpose of the trip was to reach agreements on attracting foreign investments to the agro-industrial complex, achieving mutually beneficial bilateral agreements and increasing the export potential of the agricultural sector, according to the statement of Kazakh Agriculture Ministry, Kazakh media outlets reported.

Kazakhstan will ship 200 tons of meat to Iran until the end of the year, the ministry said.

'An agreement on the supply of 200 tons of mutton until the end of the year has been signed between companies in West Kazakhstan region and Iranian representatives. Since the beginning of the year, the region shipped 80 tons of mutton to Iran, the Kazakh ministry said in a message.

Moreover, the message noted that particular attention is paid to the work on obtaining access of Kazakh livestock products to the Iranian market. In July 2017, veterinary requirements for the supply of live sheep and chilled lamb from Kazakhstan were agreed upon with the Iranian side.

As a result, this year, exports of live sheep and chilled lamb have started while exports of flax and rape increased and sunflower exports resumed.

Currently, the economic cooperation between the two states remains close to the result of the previous year with $273 891 million, during the first half of 2017. A large share in general trade turnover between the countries account for the export from Kazakhstan to Iran.

Kazakhstan's export to Iran amounted to $892.503 million in 2014, $565.791 million in 2015 and $550.518 million in 2016. In the first half of 2017 the level of export amounted to $239.756 and it is expected to reach the level of the previous year.

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