ASTANA – Kazakhstan has solidified its standing as a global agricultural powerhouse, reporting a staggering 60% surge in grain and flour exports for the 2024–2025 marketing year. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the Central Asian nation exported 15.3 million tons in grain equivalent, capitalized by a record-breaking 2025 harvest that yielded 25.9 million tons of grain, including 19.3 million tons of wheat. This production spike has propelled Kazakhstan to rank 10th globally in wheat exports and 9th in barley, reflecting a successful pivot toward aggressive market diversification and enhanced processing capabilities.
The surge in output is particularly evident in the current 2025–2026 marketing cycle, where shipments of the new harvest have already reached 8.5 million tons a 14% increase over the same period last year. While traditional markets in Central Asia including Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Afghanistan remain the core destination for Kazakh produce, the government has successfully re-established trade links with Iran, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Furthermore, the export geography has expanded significantly into the UAE, Vietnam, and several North African nations, illustrating Astana’s intent to reduce its reliance on regional demand.
“Production growth is accompanied by increased export supplies. At the end of the 2024/2025 marketing year, exports of grain and flour in grain equivalent totalled 15.3 million tons – 60% more than a year earlier,” the Ministry of Agriculture stated in a formal briefing. This growth is underpinned by an average yield of 16.3 centners per hectare, a metric that reflects broader improvements in domestic farming efficiency and the adoption of modern agricultural technologies across the steppe.
A standout performer in the 2025 trade data is the burgeoning feed flour sector, particularly in its trade with China. Exports of feed flour to the Chinese market reached 2.9 million tons in 2025, a 2.4-fold increase compared to 2024 levels. This trend aligns with the government’s strategic push to export value-added processed goods rather than raw commodities. The country continues to lead the global flour market, with total production exceeding 3 million tons and exports hitting 1.8 million tons, as local mills ramp up capacity to meet rising demand from Russia and the EAEU.
The Ministry further highlighted that Kazakhstan now supplies agricultural products to more than 72 countries, a footprint that includes the European Union and Turkey. To maintain this momentum, the government has focused on strengthening the “Middle Corridor” logistics routes, ensuring that the landlocked nation can bypass traditional bottlenecks and reach global ports. With grain storage capacity now exceeding 30 million tons, the infrastructure is in place to handle these historic volumes, positioning the agricultural sector as a primary driver of the nation’s non-oil GDP.
