The deputy proposed to increase corn processing in Kazakhstan

Ruslan Kozhasbaev, a member of the Mazhilis faction and a member of the AMANAT party faction, proposed expanding corn processing in Kazakhstan, Liter.kz reports.

He noted that in a number of regions this crop is grown in large volumes, however, despite its industrial potential, a significant part of the crop remains unclaimed.

“The Zhetysu region, along with the Almaty, Zhambyl and Turkestan regions, is the largest producer of corn in the Central Asian region. Last year, more than 600 thousand tons of corn were harvested in Zhetysu, but local factories were able to process only a little more than 200 thousand tons. Because of this, part of the harvest had to be left in the fields, and prices for raw materials remained low… To increase the share of corn processing and the volume of production of finished products, the construction of a new plant is required on the territory of the Khorgos SEZ, the people’s representative said.

The deputy emphasized that the possibilities for deep processing of corn are very extensive. Corn is used to produce acetic acid, acetone, dyes, feed, fuel, compost, rayon and paper. There is demand for these products both in the domestic market and in the export markets of neighboring countries. However, the capacity for deep processing of corn is not enough: only about 35% of the volume is processed at the Zharkent starch and syrup plant, and the rest is sold as raw materials.

To resolve the issue, the parliamentarian proposed a number of measures, including: attracting anchor investors to organize deep processing of corn in the Zhetysu region, providing the necessary financing for the industry to guarantee state support for farmers, including bioethanol production in the subsidy rules and others.