Black Sea grain exporters' competitive streak isn't limited to beating the likes of the European Union and United States to deals.

They are also engaged in a "struggle" between themselves for trade, in which Kazakhstan's status as a landlocked nation has placed it at a big disadvantage, UkrAgroConsult said.

The former Soviet nation has earmarked 10bn tenge, equivalent to $20 a tonne, this year to subsidise grain transport to Russia's Black Sea and Baltic ports.

However, even that fillip is not proving enough to guarantee the grain's competitiveness, UkrAgroConsult said, noting that the subsidy scheme paid out little last year and has yet to make any payments in 2010.

'Competitive struggle'

While charges of $25 a tonne for Russian grain cars can be avoided by those willing to wait for Kazakh rolling stock, all merchants face a 9.4% rise in Russian rail transport fees from January 1.

Furthermore, Moscow has yet to implement tariff discounts for Kazakh grain travelling over Russian territory which were meant to have been introduced in January.

"In aggregate, this neutralises Kazakhstan's attempts to enhance competitiveness in the world market," UkrAgroConsult said.

Tarriffs and rates had become a "good tool" in the battle for trade, the consultancy added, noting the particular "competitive struggle" by the Black Sea states, which also include Ukraine, for victory in wheat tenders by Egypt, the world's biggest wheat importer.

Comparison with Germany

The consultancy compared Kazakhstan with Germany in their fleeting victories in recent Egyptian tenders.

Germany, also a purveyor of high quality grain, had been held back by cold weather which had closed many of Europe's waterways.

"Increased delivery cost left no chance for German wheat," UkrAgroConsult said, adding that transport charges had also proved the "main obstacle" for Kazakh grain.