How cucumbers from SKR amazed the Germans

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The Ministry of Agriculture highly evaluates the potential of export of Kazakhstani agricultural products to the EU

Today the Minister of Agriculture of Kazakhstan Asylzhan Mamytbekov met in Astana with the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Phil Hogan. The main theme was the cooperation of Kazakhstan and the EU in the field of agriculture.

According to the press service of the Ministry of Agriculture, the foreign trade turnover of Kazakhstan with EU for agricultural products and processed products amounted to 635.9 million dollars in 2015. In 2015 Kazakhstan exported to the EU 92 thousand tons of wheat and meslin, 247.7 thousand tons of flax seed, 15,9 thousand tons of cotton and 5.9 thousand tons of fish fillets.

At the request of the correspondent palata.kz Asylzhan Mamytbekov evaluated the possibility of expanding the volume of Kazakhstan's agricultural exports to the EU countries.

According to the head of the MA, “Kazakhstan traditionally supplies to EU markets grain, oil seeds”. "At the same time I want to note that EU countries buy Kazakh wheat, mainly to improve the local grain, as it is high-protein product. Especially I would like to note that Kazakhstan supplies about 100-200 thousand tons of organic wheat annually, it is certified by the Swiss or other companies that have the appropriate certification in the EU, and its cost is almost twice higher than the cost of the usual grain", - stressed the Minister.

Mamybetkov believes that, in addition to traditional items of export from Kazakhstan, "today there are prospects for further growth in small supply of other types of products". As an example, the minister described the experience of a farmer from the South Kazakhstan region.

"Recently, a farmer from SKR supplied cucumbers to Germany. He said that customs officials were very surprised, suspecting the drug trafficking. Who imports from Kazakhstan to Germany cucumbers, when there are the Netherlands and other countries to supply these products", - shared the Minister.

"I think that the range of products has the potential for expansion. Every year we supply to Europe about 50-60 thousand tons of walleye, and it is used in the best restaurants in Europe, because it is a pure organic product", - stated A. Mamytbekov.

In turn, the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Phil Hogan said that the volume of exports from the EU to Kazakhstan may increase in the future. According to him, about 600 names of different products are today delivered from different EU member states to Kazakhstan.

"This stream could be increased, if we could resolve the issue, which exist in relation to customs duties, tariffs, transport routes. Of course, the situation is related to the Russian embargo, it does not help in this case, and today we discussed with the Minister alternative routes as products from the EU may be placed on the market of Kazakhstan, and it is important for the products of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which get to the EU market", - summed Ph. Hogan.

Zhanar Serdalina