The 2025/2026 marketing year has proven to be one of the most successful in the history of Kazakhstan's grain exports. Its uniqueness lies not only in the record-breaking transportation volumes, but also in the fact that these were achieved despite significant infrastructure constraints.
In the first ten months of the 2025/2026 marketing year, 13.319 million tons of grain were transported on the KTZ network, a 14% increase over the same period last season. Export shipments reached 10.355 million tons, also an increase of 14%.
These figures are record-breaking for recent years and demonstrate the high efficiency of the entire transportation system.
The industry operated under challenging conditions throughout the season. High loads on the railway infrastructure, changes in the organization of the transportation process, restrictions on the use of foreign-owned rolling stock, and capacity shortages on certain routes objectively complicated the export campaign.
I would like to especially highlight the work of the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan and JSC NC Kazakhstan Temir Zholy. Throughout almost the entire season, representatives of the Ministry of Transport, KTZ management, and relevant departments regularly visited border crossings, held on-site commissions, promptly addressed emerging issues, and made decisions directly on the ground. This format of ongoing interaction ensured the sustainability of export logistics.
The policy of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan was no less important. The introduction of transport subsidies has become one of the most effective export support tools in recent years. Subsidized transportation has helped diversify sales markets, open new export routes, and significantly increase competition among foreign buyers for Kazakh grain. Ultimately, this has brought additional benefits to domestic agricultural producers.
At the same time, exporters today expect timely reimbursement of already incurred transportation costs under the current subsidy program. This mechanism has proven its effectiveness, allowing Kazakhstani milling wheat to enter new markets and reduce its dependence on traditional export destinations. Continued timely payments will be essential for maintaining the achieved results and further expanding the geography of supplies.
Central Asian countries have traditionally been the main drivers of export growth. Over the first ten months of the marketing year, grain supplies to the region reached 6.57 million tons (up 35%). Exports to Uzbekistan increased to 4.9 million tons, to Tajikistan to 1.34 million tons, and supplies to Afghanistan nearly tripled, reaching 891,000 tons.
It's often common to attribute success to a single individual. In fact, the current record is the result of the joint efforts of farmers, exporters, railcar operators, JSC NC Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Agriculture, and all participants in the supply chain.
This season's experience has convincingly demonstrated that when the government and businesses work as a unified team, Kazakhstan is capable of not only overcoming objective limitations but also setting new grain export records. The next step should be the further development of railway infrastructure and increasing the capacity of international transport corridors, which will consolidate the results achieved and open up new opportunities for the domestic agricultural sector.
Zhandos Kuanyshev, Head of the Logistics and Inspection Committee of the Grain Union of Kazakhstan