Kazakhstan is increasing grain exports, while strengthening its position in the European durum wheat market. Following the current marketing season, the country became the second-largest supplier of durum wheat to the European Union, reports Zakon.kz.
The Steppe Works for Export
According to the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan, from September 2025 to July 30, 2026, grain and flour exports in grain equivalent amounted to 13.9 million tons. This is 12.6% more than in the same period last year, when 12.4 million tons were exported.
The main increase was driven by traditional importing countries in Central Asia and Afghanistan. The most significant increases were to:
- Uzbekistan – by 36%, to 5.8 million tons;
- Afghanistan – by 57%, to 2.4 million tons;
- Kyrgyzstan – by 35%, to 528,000 tons;
Turkmenistan – by 32%, to 220,000 tons. The Ministry of Agriculture notes that the positive trend in freight traffic confirms the high demand for Kazakhstani agricultural products and attests to the effectiveness of measures to develop export logistics and expand trade and economic cooperation with foreign partners.
Durum Goes West
Kazakhstan's position in the European durum wheat market is also strengthening. We analyzed documents from the European Commission's Cereals Dashboard and CIRCABC (Comext) statistics. Our conclusion is that, based on the results of the 2025/26 marketing year, the country became the second-largest supplier of durum (Triticum durum – a gluten-rich wheat variety) to the European Union.
During this period, EU countries imported 2.058 million tonnes of durum wheat. Of this volume, Canada accounted for 1.085 million tonnes, or 56.1% of the market. Kazakhstan supplied 393,523 tonnes, securing a 20.3% share. The United States followed with 239,414 tons and a 12.4% share, followed by Turkey with 77,936 tons (4.0%) and Argentina with 59,400 tons (3.1%).
For Kazakhstan, this represents a significant strengthening of its position compared to the previous marketing year. Back then, exports to the European Union totaled 273,090 tons, with a 14% market share. Over the year, exports increased by approximately 120,000 tons, and its presence in the European market increased by more than six percentage points to 20.3%.
This long-term trend is also confirmed by international trade statistics. In calendar 2024, European Union countries imported 339,000 tons of durum wheat from Kazakhstan. At that time, the republic ranked third among suppliers, after Canada and Turkey.
From the elevator to al dente
European Commission statistics show that Italy remains the largest buyer of durum wheat in the European Union. In the 2025/26 marketing year, the country imported 1.7549 million tonnes of durum wheat.
The top importers also included:
- Spain – 130.5 thousand tonnes;
- Portugal – 56.8 thousand tonnes;
- Belgium – 37.4 thousand tonnes;
- Greece – 34.7 thousand tonnes;
- Latvia – 31.3 thousand tonnes;
- Slovenia – 11.2 thousand tonnes.
Strong demand from European processors allows Kazakhstan to expand its presence in one of the world's largest centers of consumption for durum wheat used in pasta production, according to European experts.
Earlier, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev explained why the country has been harvesting record crops for the second year in a row.