For the first time, Kazakhstan's flax seed exports exceeded 1 million tons in the nine months of the current marketing year. This is 2.38 times more than during the same period last season and 2.05 times the total export volume of the entire previous marketing year, reports the website infohub.kz.
Alongside the flax record, there has been significant growth in grain exports. According to Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), 7.3 million tons of grain were transported by rail in six months, 10% more than last year. Grain exports rose 11% to 5.6 million tons. Processed grain product deliveries increased 20% to 1.1 million tons.
The Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan reported that from September 2025 to July 17, 2026, grain and flour exports in grain equivalent reached 13.5 million tons, 12.5% higher than the previous agricultural year. The main markets remain Central Asian countries and Afghanistan. Specifically, deliveries to Uzbekistan rose 37% (to 5.6 million tons), to Kyrgyzstan by 1.4 times (to 504,000 tons), to Afghanistan by 59% (to 2.2 million tons), and to Turkmenistan by 34% (to 210,000 tons).
The record flax figures were confirmed by the Grain Union of Kazakhstan, citing the Bureau of National Statistics. The largest buyers of Kazakh flax were China (40% of exports) and Belgium (28%). Together, these two countries accounted for 68% of purchases. Deliveries to EU countries also increased markedly: Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Estonia, and Italy. Analysts attribute this growth to the EU's import duty on Russian flax, which rose to 20% in 2025 and is set to increase to 50% from 2026.
Thus, Kazakhstan continues to boost its agricultural exports, setting new historical records and expanding its supply geography.