Astana (TDI): Kazakhstan has started shipping 60,000 tons of wheat to Morocco through an ambitious logistical operation spanning thousands of kilometers across rail and sea routes, Kazakhstan’s national railway company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTJ) said in a statement.
Seventeen trains starting from the grain-producing northern regions have been gathered at the Jaña-Esil station and Sarykol station.
The wheat-laden trains will transit through Latvian territory before reaching the Baltic Sea port of Liepāja, where the grain will be shifted to merchant ships.
The first convoy of 105 grain wagons, has already started its journey, beginning a logistical route linking the Central Asian steppes to North African shores.
Kazakhstan transported 83,500 tons of wheat to Morocco during the first quarter of the current year, demonstrating its deep interest in Kazakh harvests known for their milling standard.
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This first consignment, consisting of third and fourth category wheat, was dispatched on April 30, bypassing the common transit via the Black Sea in favor of this alternative route.
The import comes at a time when Morocco is trying to diversify its grain supply sources amid agricultural difficulties because of unfavorable weather conditions.
Last year, Moroccan grain production went up by 62 percent, hitting 5.5 million tons, but remains insufficient to meet national demand.
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Kazakhstan, as the major grain producer in the region, registered an exceptional harvest last year, with 26.7 million tons of grain, the largest in thirteen years. This abundance has enabled it to expand its exports to new markets.
