Kazakhstan and Turkey Discuss Joint Grain Hub in Baku

During President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s official visit to Turkey, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Agriculture Aidarbek Saparov proposed the establishment of a joint grain hub at the Baku Grain Terminal. The initiative aims to streamline logistics and strengthen the reliability of wheat supplies between the two nations. 

Kazakhstan’s Aidarbek Saparov and Turkey’s Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı met as part of the Kazakh delegation’s visit to explore deeper cooperation in the agri-industrial sector. Central to their discussions was Saparov’s proposal to build a modern grain center at the Baku terminal. According to Saparov, this facility would facilitate the fast and secure transit of durum and hi-pro wheat varieties, as well as other hard-wheat types.

Official data from Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Agriculture show that bilateral agricultural trade currently stands at around USD 300 million. In the export mix, vegetables and pulses lead with 163.2 thousand tonnes (up 106% year-on-year), followed by cotton fibre at 29.5 thousand tonnes (up 39%). The ministry sees considerable room to expand the range of exported products.
Beyond grains, Kazakhstan is eager to increase beef shipments to Turkey. “Kazakh beef is already exported to eight countries, and we are ready to supply over 10 000 tonnes per year to the Turkish market,” Saparov said, emphasizing the high quality standards of domestic meat.

Turkey’s side likewise expressed enthusiasm for deepening agricultural partnership. İbrahim Yumaklı stated that Ankara is prepared to share expertise in irrigation, organic farming, and sustainable agriculture, and to back joint investment projects.