Steppe Cement Ltd sold 761,771t of cement for KZT8190m (US$23,970.4) during the first half of the year, a rose six per cent compared with 717,654t of cement for KZT8277m a year earlier.

Average price for the current period for delivered cement was KZT10,751/t (ex VAT), compared with KZT11,533/t in the corresponding period of 2015 as companies defended their market shares, the company said.

Steppe Cement's local market share increased to 18 per cent in the 1H16 from 16 per cent in the same period of 2015 and exported four per cent of its sales compared to none in 2015, it said.