Kazakhstan can become a regional food hub of CIS - Minister of Agriculture

CIS states have an enormous potential to develop interregional cooperation in food security ensuring. Minister of Agriculture of Kazakhstan Aidarbek Saparov said it at the CIS Ministerial Conference for Cooperation in Food Security Ensuring, Kazinform News Agency reports.

“Our countries have an enormous potential to further develop the interregional and near-border cooperation in food security ensuring. Each of our countries has traditional agricultural specialization. Our further objective is to boost the volumes of the bilateral trade. For this we need to continue the work on eliminating trade barriers including veterinary and phytosanitary obstacles,” said Saparov.

He noted that dynamic development of the CIS’ agrarian sector enables to strengthen food security and play an important role in the global food market. From 10% to 30% of the global manufacture of some products falls on the CIS. Thus, the CIS produces 27% of sugar beet, 17.5% of potato and other foods.

“Therefore, we should boost the expansion of trade in agricultural products both within the region and outside it. Our task is to preserve and expand the volumes of trade in agro-industrial products outside the CIS. At the same time, Kazakhstan is ready to be a regional hub of food supplies. The country has all required resources, infrastructure and logistics. Being a neighbor with China, the largest consumer of foodstuffs, is also a positive factor,” said Saparov.