Over the past six months, Kazakhstan has significantly increased its grain exports, made possible by a record harvest in 2024, the expansion of export routes, and improved logistics, Zakon.kz reports.
Between September 2024 and February 2025 alone, JSC "NC "KTZ" (Kazakh Rail Way) transported 7.4 million tons of grain, of which 1.6 million tons were supplied to the domestic market, while 5.8 million tons were exported - an impressive result.
Key Export Destinations
Kazakhstan is actively exporting grain to several countries, with the top destinations being:
- Uzbekistan — 2.2 million tons (+34% compared to the same period last year);
- Tajikistan — 857 thousand tons (+49%);
- Iran — 700 thousand tons (+1800%);
- Azerbaijan — 363 thousand tons (+900%);
- Afghanistan — 248 thousand tons (+36%).
In addition to grain, 466 thousand tons of flour were transported, of which 314 thousand tons were exported, confirming the high demand for Kazakh products.
New Export Routes
A few more figures highlight the success of Kazakhstan’s agriculture sector. Since the beginning of 2025, the Akmola Freight Transport Division has launched five new export routes for grain. As a result, in January alone, 1,228 containers were shipped, including 20 organized routes. The main focus has been on destinations in Central Asia, China, and the port of Aktau.
In January 2025, the regional railway division transported 696.7 thousand tons of cargo, including:
- 512.8 thousand tons of grain (7,478 railcars);
- 418.6 thousand tons for export;
- 94.1 thousand tons transported within Kazakhstan.
For the entire season (September 2024 to February 16, 2025), 6.7 million tons of grain were transported, including:
- 1.4 million tons for the domestic market;
- 5.3 million tons for export (+48.3% compared to the same period last year).
Records and Prospects
Kazakhstan harvested a record 26 million tons of grain in 2024, the highest yield in the past decade. This creates broad opportunities for further export growth and development of the agricultural sector. The total harvest of grain (including rice) and legumes (in post-processing weight) increased by 47.4% compared to 2023, reaching 25,204.8 thousand tons, while the production of oilseeds grew by 52.8% to 3,337.6 thousand tons.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
March 11, 2025