Astana, 3 November. From September to October 2026, 2,262 thousand tonnes of new-crop grain were shipped abroad, 2% more than a year earlier, the Ministry of Agriculture reported from Kazakhstan Temir Zholy data.
Traditional export markets received 1.430 million tonnes, 1.2% more: Uzbekistan 1,063 thousand tonnes (1.3% more) and Tajikistan 351 thousand tonnes (19% more). New destinations grew faster: shipments to China were 2.6 times those of a year earlier (373 thousand tonnes against 145 thousand), and to Afghanistan 1.9 times (200 thousand tonnes against 104 thousand).
For wheat, according to the State Revenue Committee, exports in January–September reached 6.1 million tonnes, 15% more than in the same period last year (5.3 million tonnes). The main buyers are Uzbekistan (3.8 million tonnes, 49% more), Tajikistan (1 million tonnes, 13.6% more) and Afghanistan (663 thousand tonnes, 3.4 times more). The geography is widening: 23.3 thousand tonnes of wheat went to Tunisia, 6 thousand tonnes to France and 67 thousand tonnes to Iran.
What it means: Overall growth in new-crop grain shipments is small (2%), but it hides two large shifts: China and Afghanistan are taking several times more, while Uzbekistan and Tajikistan remain the main buyers. This year’s harvest is 10% below the record, yet shipments of new grain are slightly ahead of last year’s.
Who benefits: Exporters who found new markets (China, Afghanistan, Tunisia); the railway that carries the grain; Uzbekistan and Tajikistan as the main buyers. Contract prices and exporters’ income are not stated.
Background: In 2026 Kazakhstan harvested 24.3 million tonnes of grain, 10% less than the record harvest.
