7 October 2026
In the marketing year from September 2025 to August 2026, Kazakhstan exported a record 8.87 million tonnes of wheat, up 16.2% year on year, according to the Grain Union of Kazakhstan. Almost 79% went to Central Asia, with Uzbekistan alone taking 60.8% of all exports. Exports to Afghanistan rose 2.6-fold, and new markets appeared, including France (about 6,000 tonnes) and Tunisia (23,600 tonnes).
Railways carried 10.8 million tonnes of grain in January–September 2026 (+12%), including 8.4 million tonnes for export; September loadings hit a record 1.45 million tonnes. The Ministry of Agriculture expects this year’s harvest at about 23 million tonnes — below the record 27.1 million tonnes of 2025 — with grain exports from the new crop estimated at about 13 million tonnes.
An important detail for trade: demand is driven by low stocks in importing countries, and Kazakhstan is increasingly selling to Europe, North Africa and Southeast Asia. Wheat exports to China fell more than fourfold (to 43,200 tonnes), but this was offset by a 65% rise in sales of feed meal (high-protein feed made from oilseeds after oil extraction).
Sources: The Astana Times, 7 October 2026 (Grain Union of Kazakhstan and Ministry of Transport data); TASS, 29 September 2026.