From September 2025 to 30 July 2026, Kazakhstan exported 13.9 million tonnes of grain and flour — 12.6% more than a year earlier. The previous season had already been a record year, the strongest in two decades.
Destinations changed fundamentally. Deliveries to Uzbekistan rose by 36%, to 5.8 million tonnes. Deliveries to Afghanistan rose by 57%, to 2.4 million tonnes. Deliveries to Kyrgyzstan rose by 35%, to 528,000 tonnes. Deliveries to Turkmenistan rose by 32%, to 220,000 tonnes.
The European Union’s share, by contrast, collapsed: by the end of July, deliveries to EU countries amounted to only 11,656 tonnes, or 6.7%, compared with 18.3% in the same period of the previous season.
What this means: Kazakh grain is now flowing to Central Asia and Afghanistan, where logistics routes are shorter and competition from Russian supply is less intense. For European buyers, this means lower availability and less favourable terms. In addition, the Grain Union forecasts a 2026 harvest below last year’s level, while the wheat area has been reduced from 12.2 to 12.1 million hectares.
Sources: Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan via czhr.kz, 3 August 2026; Interfax, 23 July 2026; Reuters, 22 July 2026