Kazakhstan lost its world leadership in linseed production

The death of 57% of oilseed linseed crops in 2023 led to a decrease in the gross seed harvest in Kazakhstan. The Republic is no longer the world leader in the production of this crop. Its place was taken by Russia. Canada is in third place.

World oilseed flax seed production in 2022 reached one of the highest levels in history at 3.9 million tons, an increase of 18.3% compared to 2021. However, due to significant declines in gross yields in a number of key flax-growing centers – primarily Russia and Kazakhstan – preliminary estimates suggest that global flax seed production in 2023 will decline significantly from 2022 levels.

In Russia in 2022, the gross harvest reached 1.7 mln tons or about 44% of the global total. Last year’s production decreased by 33.5% to 1.2 million,” the document says.

The volume of gross harvest in Kazakhstan – the second largest player in the global market – in 2022 increased by 9% to 845.6 thousand tons compared to 2021. Nevertheless, Agroexport notes, Kazakhstan’s production of the crop remained well below the country’s record high of 1.1 million tons in 2020.

Imports

In 2023, the volume of world imports of flax seeds amounted to 2.55 million tons worth $1.35 billion. The largest importers of flax seeds in physical terms in 2023 were China, which purchased more than 1.2 million tons (48.5% of world imports), and Belgium, which imported 428.7 thousand tons (16.8%). The top five importers in physical terms also included the USA (4.8%), Poland (4.4%) and the Netherlands (3.7%). Russia ranked ninth in the ranking. Over 2018-2023, the most notable increase in purchases of flax seeds by China (3.2 times or +848.6 thousand tons), Russia (4.9 times or +34.5 thousand tons) and Kazakhstan (from 414.7 tons to 41.7 thousand tons).

Exports

In 2023, world exports of linseed amounted to 2.63 mln tons worth $1.39 billion. The largest suppliers of linseed to the world market in volume terms in 2023 were Russia (56.2% of world exports) and Kazakhstan (19.6%). Canada (8.3%), Belgium (5.8%) and Poland (3.1%) were also among the top five exporters. Over 2018-2023, linseed shipments from Russia (3.7 times or +1.1 mln tons), Kazakhstan (+18.4% or +80.2 thsd tons) and Ukraine (2.9 times or +26.3 thsd tons) increased most notably.

Prices

The average import price for flax seeds in 2023 decreased by 35.6% relative to 2022 and amounted to $528 per ton of products. Among the leading importing countries, the most expensive seeds were purchased by Germany (95.0% higher than the global average price), France (81.6% higher), the USA (75.1% higher) and the Netherlands (54.2% higher). The lowest purchase prices were observed in Kazakhstan (59.4% below the world average price) and Afghanistan (48.5% below).

In 2023, the average export price of flax seed was $530 per ton, down 33.1% from the 2022 level. The most expensive products among the leading exporting countries were supplied from the Netherlands (2.7 times higher than the world average price), Germany (2.4 times higher) and India (2.1 times higher). The lowest prices were recorded for supplies from Russia (20.3% lower than the world average price), Ukraine (13.8% lower), and Kazakhstan (12.6% lower).

Tags: Canada, France, Germany, Kazakhstan, linseed, Netherlands, Russia, Ukraine, USA