Kazakh grain exports fall

Kazakhstan's grain exports fell to 5.367 million tonnes from the start of the marketing year on July 1 to April 30, from 7.554 million in the same period of the previous crop season, agriculture ministry data showed on Monday. Central Asia's biggest grain producer is likely to export 7 million tonnes of grain this marketing year, senior ministry officials have said. Heavy rain and early snow cut Kazakhstan's grain harvest to 17.2 million tonnes by clean weight last year, from 18.2 million tonnes in 2013. In 2015, Kazakhstan expects a grain crop of similar size to last year's.