Agri-food sector

On September 24, 2020, the OECD webinar on "Strengthening and developing capacity in the field of competitiveness of the agri-food sector" was held.

The event is part of a series of webinars with Central Asian and Eastern European governments on responses to the COVID-19 Strategy, which are being implemented with financial support from the European Union.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sugar market, as well as the production of sugar from sugar beet, were the main topics of the webinar. Th.organizers aim to facilitate the exchange of experience between OECD experts, as well as political figures and leaders of the agricultural processing industry in Kazakhstan

Opening the webinar, Vice Minister of Agriculture Ruslan Manatayev noted that the maximum reduction in sugar beet imports, food security and investment attractiveness in this industry are priorities in the state program for the development of the agro-industrial complex for 2017-2021.

Pierre-Eric Trimouille, an Economic Analyst at the OECD's Eurasia Division, presented the results of the analysis and recommendations on the state of the sugar market in the world and in Kazakhstan. In general, Pierre-Eric Trimouille noted that COVID-19 has significantly changed the impact on food demand and demand for sugar, including:

1)    Domestic demand has shifted from higher-value goods to basic consumer products that are ready to eat and suitable for storage.
2)    There have been changes in sales channels. The share of sales through supermarkets and home delivery services increased, while markets, restaurants and food service businesses saw a serious decline in revenue.
3)    The quarantine measures led to the closure of restaurants and firms tha.organize meals for schools, hotels and mass events, which were among the largest consumers of sugar.
4)    Demand for sugar has sharply decreased in a number of corporate segments (for example, carbonated beverages)
5)    The closure of many other places of mass gatherings led to a decrease in the consumption of sweets and confectionery

It is worth noting that experts from France and Ukraine were invited to the webinar. For example, the former head of a number of sugar factories, Pierre Chenet, shared his experience in optimizing the process of extracting sugar and using by-products of sugar beet processing. Pierre Chenet introduced the seminar participants to the advantages of using pressed pulp and processing water from a pulp press.

Thus, Kazakhstani sugar production specialists who participated in the webinar got acquainted with the analysis of current trends in the field of sugar production, and also learned from experience in improving the quality of sugar production through the processes of drying pulp and cleaning diffusion juice.

For reference: the OECD is an international economi.organization of developed countries, established in 1948 and recognizing the principles of representative democracy and free market economy. The goal of the OECD is to implement a coordinated policy aimed at ensuring sustainable economic growth and improving the living standards of its member countries. There are 37 countries that are members of the OECD. Kazakhstan has been cooperating with the OECD since 2008.