Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) national railway operator transported more than 5.2 million tons of grain in eight months of 2024, including four million tons for export, reported the company’s press service.
“There has been a 17.4% increase in the volume of milled products transported by rail, reaching 2.3 million tons. Of this, 1.8 million tons were exported, which is 20% higher than in 2023,” the company stated.
The lion’s share of Kazakhstan’s grain exports, 2.5 million tons, went to Central Asian countries. Additionally, 1.2 million tons were shipped to China, while the transport of milled products to China surged by 70%, reaching approximately 500,000 tons.
KTZ anticipates large-scale grain shipments starting on Sept. 20, with around 12,000 grain cars prepared nationwide for this purpose. According to KTZ Managing Director Baurzhan Urynbasarov, around 6,000 of these cars are ready to transport grain for export towards the Black Sea and Baltic Sea ports.
As of Sept. 16, 7,400 hectares, which account for 44% of farmland in Kazakhstan, have been harvested, with an average yield of 14.6 centners per hectare, producing 10.8 million tons of grain. Additionally, 1.5 million tons of grain have been delivered to elevators.