Kazakhstan to ban wheat, flour exports until June 15

NUR-SULTAN, April 6 (Reuters) – Kazakhstan plans to limit wheat and wheat flour exports until June 15 to 1 million tonnes and 300,000 tonnes respectively and the measure will take effect within two weeks, Agriculture Minister Yerbol Karashukeyev said on Wednesday.

Exporters will also be required to sell 100,000 tonnes of wheat and 30,000 tonnes of flour on the domestic market “at a low price,” he said.

Kazakhstan usually exports grains to neighbouring Central Asian nations and Afghanistan; it also ships some to China and to Black Sea ports. At the same time, Kazakhstan usually imports limited volumes of wheat from Russia – which has now banned exports.

Karashukeyev said Kazakhstan usually exported about 500,000 tonnes of wheat and 100,000-120,000 tonnes of flour per month at this time of year.