Kazakhstan took part in the Turkic Agro-Forum
Tashkent hosted the first meeting of the Ministers in Charge of Agriculture of the member states of the Organization of Turkic States (OTG) on the development of the agro-industrial complex in the Turkic countries.
The Organization of Turkic States is an international organization that unites 5 states and two observer countries, with a total population of about 150 million people. With developed economic dialogues, well-established process of interaction and mechanisms for implementing confidence-building measures, the OTC has the prospect of becoming an effective tool for jointly confronting new challenges and threats.
Trade relations between Kazakhstan and OTC members have great potential for deepening mutually beneficial cooperation.
Despite the pandemic and related challengers, exports of Kazakhstan’s agro-industrial products in 2021 amounted to $3.7 billion. At the same time, about 36% of all products ($1.3 billion) were exported to the OTC countries. The turnover of agricultural products between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the OTC countries in 2021 accounted for $1.79 billion, which is up by 17.1% compared to the same period of 2020 ($1.533 billion).
Minister of Agriculture Erbol Karashukeyev in his speech highlighted the importance of ensuring food security, taking emergency response measures, as well as improving the efficiency of mutual food supplies.
“Kazakhstan is the major country in ensuring food security throughout the Central Asian region, standing as a leader in the production and export of grains and oilseeds. Taking into account the geographical location, rich land resources, as well as favorable climatic conditions, the agro-industrial complex of Kazakhstan in the future can play an important role in stabilizing and improving the food situation in the world,” the Minister said.
Moreover, Saule Sabyr, Deputy Director of the Project Department of KAZAKH INVEST presented Kazakhstan’s investment opportunities as part of the visit. A meeting was also held with Evren Albach, the CEO of Tat Gida Turkish Company, on the issue of creating a tomato processing project. The project, supported by KAZAKH INVEST, is currently in its active development phase, negotiations are underway with financial institutions.