Kazakhstan increased sunflower oil exports by 1.6 times in 2023

In 2023, Kazakhstan supplied 364.4 thsd tonnes of sunflower oil to foreign markets, which is 1.6 times more than in 2022, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov said.

Last year, the volume of supplies amounted to $321.1 mln in value terms. The main importers are Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and China, Bektenov said in a response to a parliamentary inquiry.

The share of unrefined oil accounted for 316.2 thousand tons (87% of all supplies), refined oil – 48.2 thousand tons (13%).

There are more than 60 sunseed crushing plants in Kazakhstan with a total capacity of 3 mln tons per year. In 2023, the gross harvest of sunflower seeds amounted to 1.2 mln tonnes, and the crushing plants were utilized at 40% of their capacity.

Bektenov reminded that since February last year, Kazakhstan has been imposing an export tax on sunflower seeds in the amount of 20%, but not less than 100 euros per ton.

“As a result of the introduction of the export tax on sunseed, oil production increased from 331.1 thousand tons to 534.1 thousand tons. Import substitution of vegetable oil is taking place in the domestic market. In 2023, imports of sunflower oil decreased by 17% and amounted to 89.1 thousand tons,” the document says.

The Prime Minister emphasized that with the introduction of an export duty on the export of sunflower seeds, prices for sunflower oil in the domestic market have stabilized.

“The production of sunflower oil also has a valuable by-product – meal (cake). It is used to make livestock feed for related industries such as poultry, livestock and animal feed production. Thus, the export of sunflower seed cake in 2023 increased by 72% compared to 2022 and amounted to 295.9 thousand tons,” the response to the deputy’s inquiry clarifies.

Kazakhstan’s oilcake is also supplied to such countries as Iran, Latvia, China, the UAE, Oman, and Korea.

Tags: sunflower oil, Kazakhstan, export