Contrary to wheat or flour, barley exports from Kazakhstan started the new season at the slowest pace in the last three years.
Kazakh exporters supplied 28.5 KMT of barley to foreign markets in September, down by 58.5% YoY (68.6 KMT).
In the first month of the season Iran was still the biggest importer of barley from Kazakhstan, but its purchases shrank three and a half times YoY, to 17.55 KMT from 60.88 KMT. Generally speaking, Iran traditionally prefers Russian barley in the first months of the season while harvesting in Kazakhstan is still underway.
Shipments of Kazakh barley to other key markets, such as Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, somewhat increased in September.
At the same time, analysts expect a 20% hike in Kazakh barley exports in the season 2016/2017 (to 1 MMT) due to increased production of this cereal crop. (UkrAgroConsult/Business World Magazine)