Kazakhstan is making significant strides in expanding its presence in international markets through the growth of its agricultural processing sector and increased exports of higher value-added products. China and Central Asian countries have emerged as key destinations for these exports, with China alone purchasing $913.9 million worth of products, accounting for 27.4% of total exports in 38 fast-growing categories. Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan collectively contributed another $825.7 million, or 24.8% of exports.
The Eurasian Economic Union, including Russia, also plays a notable role, receiving 13.5% and 10.4% of exports, respectively. Between January and August, Kazakhstan’s processed agricultural exports reached $3.04 billion, marking a 35.1% increase compared to the same period last year. Notably, processed products constituted 54.1% of the country’s total agricultural export value.
Grain and oilseed products have significantly contributed to this growth. Flour exports saw a 23% increase in volume, reaching 1.38 million tons and generating approximately $400 million. Additionally, exports of sunflower, safflower, and cottonseed oils rose by 49% to $673 million, while rapeseed and mustard oil exports increased 2.3 times to $90 million.
Other agricultural exports have also shown strong performance. Beef exports rose by 78% to $164 million, and animal feed meal exports increased by 61% in value to $578 million. These figures underscore the expanding role of agricultural processing in Kazakhstan’s export growth.
Looking ahead, Kazakhstan is planning to bolster its processing industry further through six major investment projects worth approximately $4 billion. These projects aim to enhance the production of starch, gluten, amino acids, and bioethanol, with a combined annual processing capacity of 5.8 million tons. This expansion is expected to reduce the country’s dependence on raw material exports, strengthen domestic manufacturing, and improve the competitiveness of Kazakhstan’s processed products in international markets.