OREANDA-NEWS  The share of the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States in world food production ranges from 10% to 30%, Kazakh Minister of Agriculture Aidarbek Saparov said at the conference of CIS member states on cooperation in the field of food security in Astana.

"The dynamic development of the agricultural sector in the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States allows us not only to actively strengthen food security, but also to play an important role in the global food market. In many positions, the share of the Commonwealth countries in world production ranges from 10% to 30%. For example, for the production of sugar beet – 27%, for potatoes – 17.5% and other positions," the Kazakh minister said. According to him, it is necessary to stimulate "the expansion of trade in agricultural products both within the region and beyond its borders." At the same time, Saparov stressed that the CIS countries are the largest trading partners for Kazakhstan. Last year, the republic's trade in agricultural products with the CIS countries increased by 23% and amounted to $ 6.5 billion.