Kazakhstan boosts vegetable oil exports in 2025

Kazakhstan’s oilseed and fats industry continues to strengthen its position, driven by expanded oilseed acreage, higher processing volumes, and growing export potential.

In 2025, oilseed acreage expanded to 3.9 million ha, a 37.7% increase—up by 1.1 million ha year on year. Sunflower plantings alone rose by 38.4%, adding 491,100 ha.

North Kazakhstan, Kostanay, Pavlodar, Akmola, East Kazakhstan, and Abai regions account for the largest share of oilseed acreage.

Preliminary data from regional authorities show that Kazakhstan harvested 4.8 million tonnes of oilseeds in 2025, up from 3.3 million tonnes in 2024, including 2.3 million tonnes of sunflower seeds, compared with 1.8 million tonnes a year earlier.

Processing capacity at oilseed enterprises exceeds 5 million tonnes a year. By the end of 2025, vegetable oil output reached 888,800 tonnes, up 17.4% year on year from 757,100 tonnes in 2024. Sunflower oil production totaled 757,200 tonnes, a 17.5% increase from the previous year.

Vegetable oil exports rose 34.6% in the first 11 months of 2025 compared with the same period a year earlier.

The main buyers were Uzbekistan (46% of total exports), China (33.7%), Tajikistan (13.1%), Afghanistan (4.3%), and Turkmenistan (1.8%), among others.

Kazakhstan is the world’s eighth-largest exporter of sunflower oil and ranks among the top three suppliers of sunflower meal to the European Union.

To ensure sufficient raw materials for processors and increase value added, the Concept of Development of Agro-industrial Complex of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2021-2030 provides for further expansion of oilseed cultivation.

Export duties on sunflower seeds have been in effect since February 1, 2023, set at 20%, with a minimum of €100 per tonne. To expand export capacity, Kazakhstan has signed sanitary and phytosanitary protocols with China covering shipments of processed oilseed products.

As part of agricultural support programs, processing enterprises benefit from concessional working capital loans and a reduced VAT rate of 80%.

The measures are helping drive further growth in the oilseed and fats sector, boosting the competitiveness of domestic products and widening access to export markets.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that the implementation of the Comprehensive Livestock Development Plan for 2026–2030 will allow Kazakhstan to increase its cattle population to 12 million head.