Iran-Kazakhstan agricultural trade jumps 56% as ties deepen
Agricultural trade between Kazakhstan and Iran surged by 55.8% year-on-year to $342 million, now accounting for 79% of total two-way commerce, officials said following a meeting in early June.
Kazakh Agriculture Minister Aidarbek Saparov and Iran’s Minister of Industry, Mines and Trade Mohammad Atabak met on June 1 to discuss expanding agricultural cooperation, boosting trade flows, and strengthening investment ties, according to a readout from Kazakhstan’s Agriculture Ministry cited by local media.
Kazakh agricultural exports to Iran nearly doubled, jumping 97% to $238.5 million. Grain exports more than doubled to 1.1 million metric tons, valued at $225.3 million, according to The Astana Times.
During the talks, the ministers focused on further increasing grain shipments as well as exports of beef and lamb that meet international veterinary and halal standards. They also highlighted opportunities to expand supplies of vegetable oils and other food products to the Iranian market.
Atabak reaffirmed Tehran’s interest in deepening economic ties with Astana. "Kazakhstan is an important partner for Iran in the region," he said. "We are interested in increasing bilateral trade, expanding agricultural supplies, developing logistics routes, and implementing joint projects in processing and agro-industrial cooperation."
Saparov invited Iranian investors to take part in projects focused on agricultural production and value-added processing, particularly in the grain and oilseed sectors.