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Kazakhstan ready to sell wheat, meat and fuel to RI, envoy says
Kazakhstan, the biggest economy in Central Asia, is ready to supply wheat, meat and fuel to Indonesia, says a top Kazakhstan diplomat
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K
azakhstan, the biggest economy in Central Asia, is ready to supply wheat, meat and fuel to Indonesia, says a top Kazakhstan diplomat.
'We are the second-biggest producer of oil and gas among the former Soviet Union countries after Russia. We are also a major producer of wheat and meat. We are ready to provide these items to Indonesia,' Kazakhstan Ambassador to Indonesia Askhat T. Orazbay said at a press briefing on Thursday.
The press briefing was organized by the Kazakhstan Embassy in connection with two important celebrations: the Day of the First President (Dec. 1) and Independence Day (Dec. 16).
Under the leadership of President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo, Indonesia, the largest economy in Southeast Asia and a G20 member, is striving to attain food and energy security.
According to Kazakhstan's Oil and Gas Ministry, the country produced 1.64 million barrels of oil per day (bpd) and 42.3 billion cubic meters of gas in 2013. It exported 1.4 million bpd to China, Italy, the Netherlands, France and Austria in 2013. Kazakhstan's oil production may reach 1.73 million bpd in 2014.
The Central Asian nation, in recent years, has emerged as a major producer of wheat and wheat flour. According to gain.fas.usda.gov, Kazakhstan, which has the world's biggest dry steppe and vast agricultural land, produced last year 13.95 million metric tons of wheat and exported 7.5 million metric tons to several countries such as China, the former Soviet Union countries and Iran.
'We have very high quality wheat and wheat flour. We are looking for Indonesian buyers,' Ambassador Orazbay told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of the briefing.
Indonesia is currently the second-biggest importer of wheat and wheat flour in the world after Egypt.
As far as meat is concerned, Kazakhstan is fast emerging as a key supplier of premium-class beef. Last year, the Astana Times reported that total meat production in Kazakhstan reached 871,000 tons. At least 5,000 tons of top-class beef was exported in 2013.
'We don't use growth stimulators in our meat industry. We breed cows and lambs naturally,' Orazbay said.
Globalmeatnews.com reported in May that Kazakhstan temporarily banned the import of certain types of beef from Australia after finding growth stimulator trenbolone in its beef.
Orazbay said relations between Kazakhstan and Indonesia had been put on a higher trajectory, especially after the visits of both countries' presidents in 2012 and 2013. 'We are ready to work with President Jokowi's administration. Both countries have huge economic potential,' Orazbay said.
Due to lack of information in both countries, bilateral trade is very small but is rapidly growing.
'Last year, our trade with Indonesia reached US$170.9 million - $130.3 million in exports and $40.6 million in imports ' in 2013, a big jump from $57.2 million in 2012,' Orazbay said
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'We have very high quality wheat and wheat flour. We are looking for Indonesian buyers.'
