Kazakhstan Increases Export Revenues from Processed Agricultural Products by One-Third

Kazakhstan significantly increased exports of high value-added agro-industrial products in 2025. Revenue from exports of processed agricultural goods rose by nearly one-third compared to the previous year, according to Minister of Agriculture Aidarbek Saparov. By the end of 2025, food production reached $8.1 billion, an 8.1% increase year-on-year. Exports of processed agricultural products totaled $3.2 billion for the first 11 months of 2025, marking a 33.8% increase compared to the same period in 2024. By contrast, total exports of high value-added products in 2024 stood at $2.7 billion, with annual growth not exceeding 15%. The share of processed goods in total agro-industrial exports reached 52% in 2025. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, this reflects a systematic policy aimed at diversifying agricultural exports and shifting toward products with greater added value. The expansion of processing capacity has also increased the sector’s investment appeal. Investments in fixed capital in agriculture doubled, reaching $791.5 million. The structure of exports is also evolving. Previously, Kazakhstan exported raw lentils and imported processed groats at higher prices. Today, domestic processing and packaging facilities enable the country to fully supply the domestic market and export finished products. Kazakhstan ranks sixth globally in lentil exports and retains further growth potential. The oilseed segment has become one of the key drivers of profitability in crop production. In 2025, the oilseed harvest reached 4.9 million tons, up 48% year-on-year. Sunflower oil exports increased to 600,000 tons, placing Kazakhstan eighth globally in export volumes. To support this trend, four major projects were launched in 2024-2025 to expand and modernize oil processing plants. The projects have a combined capacity of approximately 1 million tons and a total investment value of $117 million. A lecithin production line, supplying the food and cosmetics industries, has been launched in the East Kazakhstan region. A similar facility is planned in the North Kazakhstan region. Deep grain processing is also developing. Three enterprises with a combined capacity exceeding 500,000 tons are already operating, producing gluten, bioethanol and starch products. Six additional investment projects worth $3.8 billion are scheduled for implementation over the next three years. These projects involve the production of amino acids, including glutamate, threonine, leucine and lysine, and will be located in the Turkestan, Zhambyl, Akmola and Kostanay regions, as well as in Astana. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan has set a strategic objective for the agricultural sector to become one of the world’s three largest exporters of sunflower oil and to increase total exports of oil and fat products to $1 billion by 2028.

Kazakhstan Harvests Record Grain and Oilseed Crop

Kazakhstan has reported a record harvest for 2025, collecting over 27 million tons of grain and 4.5 million tons of oilseeds for the first time, according to Deputy Minister of Agriculture Azat Sultanov. The Ministry of Agriculture said the grain harvest reached 27.1 million tons in initial weight, including 20.3 million tons of wheat, an increase of 0.5 million tons compared to last year, despite a reduction in wheat acreage by nearly 900,000 hectares. Of the soft wheat delivered to elevators, 53% was graded 1-3, slightly lower than the 56% recorded in 2024. Class 4 wheat accounted for 35%, up from 28% a year earlier. “More than half of this volume has a gluten content above 20%, which allows this wheat to be used for food purposes,” Sultanov noted. Around 12% of the harvest consisted of unclassified wheat, which will be used for animal feed and fodder production, sectors where demand is growing, particularly in neighboring countries. For the first time, the volume of legumes reached one million tons, while a new record was set for oilseeds at 4.5 million tons, with harvesting still underway in several regions. The country also produced 2.9 million tons of potatoes, 3.8 million tons of vegetables, and 2.6 million tons of melons and gourds. Harvesting of oilseeds, grain corn, and sugar beets is nearing completion. “The agricultural season that has just ended showed steady growth in production. For the second year in a row, Kazakhstan has demonstrated positive dynamics thanks to the use of modern technologies and crop diversification. The harvest took place at the optimal time, and no serious problems arose,” Sultanov emphasized. Between September and October, Kazakhstan exported 2.2 million tons of grain from the new harvest, 21% more than in the same period last year. During the previous marketing season (September 2024 to August 2025), exports totalled 13.4 million tons, a 47% year-on-year increase. Sultanov confirmed the government’s intention to maintain the current export potential. “In 2024, some experts doubted that it would be possible to reach 12 million tons, but in fact, the plan was exceeded. This year, Kazakhstan is developing new export destinations, deliveries have begun to Belgium, Portugal, Poland, Norway, Vietnam, the UAE, Morocco, Algeria, and Egypt, while exports to Iran, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia have resumed. Demand for Kazakh grain remains stable, with export potential estimated at 13 million tons,” Sultanov said. The Times of Central Asia previously reported that President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has set a target of increasing Kazakhstan’s grain exports to China to 2 million tons annually.