OREANDA-NEWS. April 06, 2012. As global grain prices continue to climb, the EBRD is charting new territory by becoming the first international financial institution to invest directly in a primary agricultural company in Kazakhstan, reported the press-centre of KASE.

In the week when European wheat prices hit a 9-month high, the EBRD has reaffirmed its commitment to food security in the region with a USD 45 million equity investment in KazExportAstyk, a company well-positioned to expand its production of grain.

JSC Holding KazExportAstyk - or KEA - is a large agro-industrial holding, the third largest grain producer and the biggest oil seed producer in the Central Asian republic. It is fully integrated with its own grain terminals, flour mills and long-term land usage agreements. Among the grain enterprises in the country, KEA has complied with international audit standards for the longest period of time.