In brief
Kazakhstan recorded a grain harvest of 24.3 million tonnes in 2026, the highest level in 15 years. Grain exports rose 9 % to 1.657 million tonnes in the first half of 2026, and the two‑year exports of 15.5 and 16 million tonnes were record highs since independence.
Almaty, October 30 — In its most productive grain season in 15 years, Kazakhstan announced a harvest of 24.3 million tonnes, the country's Ministry of Agriculture stated in a Xinhua report.
Harvest Highlights
The ministry noted the figure exceeds all harvests in the past decade and a half and rivals only two earlier campaigns, producing the largest volumes from those years, according to Xinhua.
Export figures presented by the state railway operator Kazakhstan Temir Zholy show grain moved to international markets rose 9 % in the summer months, with 1.657 million tonnes shipped from September to mid‑October, the ministry added.
Across two consecutive marketing years—September 2024 to August 2025 and September 2025 to August 2026—the country moved 15.5 million tonnes and 16 million tonnes of grain and flour in grain‑equivalent form, respectively, both marking record highs since the country gained independence, the ministry said.
These numbers underscore a period of high productivity for Kazakhstan’s bread‑basket economy, according to the Ministry, but the report did not attribute the gains to specific policy changes or environmental factors.
The ministry reiterated that the 24.3 million‑tonne harvest is a milestone, noting that only two prior harvests surpassed this total in the country’s history of steady agricultural development. The ministry cautioned that the data were preliminary until the end of the season, a caveat reiterated by the railway operator.
The national railway operator highlighted the 9 % rise in exports over the first half of 2026 as a sign of sustained demand, while also noting that raw export volumes were lower than the peak of the preceding year, though the percentage growth compensates for the smaller base.
Uncertainties remain. The Xinhua report did not cite any uncertainties or pending verifications regarding the harvest or export figures beyond the acknowledged preliminary nature of the data. No further uncertainties were identified in the source.