URUMQI, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- The first China-Europe cargo train loaded with grain arrived at Urumqi International Land Port Area in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region after its return trip on Friday.

A total of 2,200 tonnes of high-quality wheat carried by the train from Kazakhstan will be sent to Xinjiang Keming Noodle Manufacturing Co, Ltd. in the bonded area of Urumqi, capital of the region, for further processing, said sources with the land port area.

Wei Yujun, deputy general manager of the company, said they used to use trucks to import wheat from Kazakhstan, and the travel time was very long. Now, transportation by China-Europe cargo trains on their return trips can help them save some 20 days while reducing cargo loss on the way.

The return train is a test train for transporting grain from Central Asia to the port area in Urumqi. More such return trains are expected to import agri-products from central Asia to Xinjiang, said Zhou Kai, executive deputy general manager of the Xinjiang International Land Port Group.

The Urumqi International Land Port Area has played an important role in boosting building up the core area along the Silk Road Economic Belt.

In December 2018, the first batch of frozen mutton was imported from Kazakhstan, marking the central Asian country exporting meat products to China for the first time.