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For the second year running, agricultural producers in Kazakhstan are strategically pivoting away from traditional grain crops in favor of oilseeds, driven by the search for higher profit margins. This structural shift in crop rotation has seen the share of oilseeds grow from 14% to 22% over the last five years.
Andrii Antonov, Executive Director for Strategic Development at the National Oilseed Processors Association of Kazakhstan (NOPA), highlighted these trends during the AgroFoodSummit in Mersin, Türkiye. He noted that Kazakhstan remains the agricultural leader in Central Asia, managing 24 million hectares of cultivated land, with oilseeds now occupying 5.3 million hectares. The primary drivers of this growth are sunflower, flax, soybeans, and rapeseed.
Sunflower cultivation, in particular, has seen explosive growth, with its planting area increasing by 130% over the past five years. Currently, 2.2 million hectares are dedicated to sunflower, and strategic medium-term plans aim to double this footprint to more than 4 million hectares. However, Antonov cautioned that despite a 30% expansion in acreage for major oilseeds this year, the total harvest is expected to remain flat compared to last year due to prevailing drought conditions.
Global trade flows are also shifting. Kazakhstan is positioned to potentially become the world's largest producer of oilseed flax by the 2026/27 marketing year. This transition is being accelerated by higher European Union tariffs on Russian flax, which are forcing European importers to seek alternative origins, primarily benefiting Kazakhstan.
Meanwhile, the pulse market is facing different pressures. While Ukraine remains a significant global player in the pea market, with an expected export volume of 600,000 tonnes for the 2026/27 season, logistics remain the primary bottleneck. Persistent attacks on infrastructure and vessels, combined with blocked maritime routes, mean that restoring the necessary export capacity will be a long-term challenge. Consequently, the European Business Association has urged the Ukrainian government to work with Baltic states and EU authorities to curb the export of Russian agricultural goods through Baltic Sea ports.
Source: AgroPortal.ua