Astana, 27 October. Kazakhstan's Ministry of Agriculture has asked Rosselkhoznadzor, Russia's agricultural watchdog, to temporarily stop issuing phytosanitary certificates from 23 October 2026 for seed and food sunflower shipped from Russia to Kazakhstan; the ministry announced the request on 24 October, and its details spread through Kazakh Telegram channels on Monday.
The reason given is phytosanitary risk. According to the ministry, sunflower phomopsis (Diaporthe helianthi), a fungal disease that can reduce yields, was found 23 times in imported seed consignments in 2025 and so far in 2026. It is classed as a quarantine pest: one whose spread the state restricts with special measures. The ministry stressed that the step is preventive.
The decision follows a long chain of mutual restrictions. In July Rosselkhoznadzor asked Kazakhstan to stop sending food sunflower to Russia until 1 January 2027, after a warehouse was found in the Krasnodar region through which French and Chilean seed had been imported as food sunflower with Kazakh certificates. Later the Russian service recommended suspending certificates for exports of some Kazakh crop products and proposed talks.
At home, according to industry publications, sunflower prices have fallen by about 25–30% year on year, partly because Kazakh processors were actively buying Russian raw material; measures discussed included abolishing the export duty on Kazakh sunflower or restricting Russian imports.
What it means: Kazakhstan, which itself has been unable to send food sunflower to Russia since the summer, is now closing its market to Russian sunflower. The official reason is a plant disease; the step coincides with complaints from Kazakh growers about prices falling because of cheap Russian raw material.
Who benefits: Kazakh sunflower growers, as competing raw material leaves the market, which may support purchase prices. Processors and oil-extraction plants that bought Russian seed will have to find raw material at home.
Background: A phytosanitary certificate is issued by the exporting country's service and confirms that a consignment of plant products has been inspected and is free of quarantine pests and diseases.
