The Grain Union of Kazakhstan has summarized the results of the 2025/26 marketing year export season (September 2025 – August 2026). The results exceeded all expectations: the country supplied 8,873.4 thousand tons of wheat (both soft and durum) to foreign markets, a 16.2% increase over the previous season. This volume marks an all-time record for the republic, according to the APK Novosti agency.
The season concluded in August 2026. According to the State Revenue Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan, wheat exports to destinations outside the EAEU totaled 567.3 thousand tons. This represents a 15.7% increase compared to July 2026 and exceeds the August 2024 figure by 23%.
Experts attribute the sharp acceleration in shipments at the end of summer to two key factors:
An early harvest, which allowed export consignments to be prepared ahead of competitors.
A lack of carryover stocks among traditional importers.
The record-breaking destinations were Turkey, Iran, and Russia.
Central Asian countries were the primary growth driver, accounting for 78.7% of total exports (6,982.6 thousand tons). However, the most impressive growth trends were observed in markets that are typically not major destinations for Kazakhstani grain:
Turkey: 27-fold increase;
Iran: 617-fold increase;
Russia: 12-fold increase (Kazakhstani wheat has begun making a strong comeback in the market of its northern neighbor);
United Kingdom: 3-fold increase;
Belgium: 2.1-fold increase; Uzbekistan: 42% growth (remains the primary market with a 60.8% share);
Afghanistan: 2.6-fold increase;
Netherlands: 31% growth.
The 2025/26 marketing year also opened up entirely new markets for Kazakhstan. For the first time in many years, wheat was shipped to France (6,000 tonnes) and Tunisia (23,600 tonnes).
Who reduced their purchases?
Despite the overall success, a number of traditional buyers significantly cut back on imports. The sharpest declines in shipments were to:
China — a 4.14-fold drop (to 43,200 tonnes). It is worth noting that China offset the decline in the main grain segment by purchasing feed flour; shipments of this product from Kazakhstan rose by 1,430,500 tonnes (+65%);
Azerbaijan — a 3.16-fold drop (to 220,000 tonnes);
Georgia — a 2.04-fold drop (to 39,400 tonnes);
Italy — a 1.89-fold drop (to 242,200 tonnes);
Turkmenistan — a 1.85-fold drop (to 28,000 tonnes);
Latvia — a 1.5-fold drop (to 30,100 tonnes).
Shipments ceased entirely to Egypt (from 11,600 tonnes to zero), Vietnam (from 17,700 tonnes to zero), and Morocco (from 161,900 tonnes to zero). Exports to Algeria (down 16.8%) and Norway (down 14%, to 9.9 thousand tonnes) also declined.
Despite its status as a major exporter, Kazakhstan remains a significant importer of grain. According to Russian sources, imports of Russian wheat into the republic during the 2025/26 marketing year (September–August) totaled 2,090.4 thousand tonnes—a 4.2-fold increase compared to the previous year. In August 2026 alone, Kazakhstan purchased 170.4 thousand tonnes from Russia (up from 125 thousand tonnes in July).
At the same time, the Grain Union notes that demand from Central Asia and Afghanistan remained consistently high throughout the year. Even with large volumes of Russian wheat available on the market, consumers in the region continued to prioritize Kazakh grain in September 2026, ensuring a strong start to the new export season.
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