Kazakhstan’s durum wheat exports rebound after weak start

After a slow start to the marketing year, Kazakhstan’s durum wheat exports have begun to recover. According to the Grain Union of Kazakhstan, shipments picked up significantly in January 2026, reaching the highest monthly level of the season.

In January, exports totaled 121.4 thousand tonnes, up 3.85 times from December and 2.15 times higher than in January of the previous season. Overall, durum wheat exports for the first five months of the MY 2025/26 reached 170.9 thousand tonnes, marking a 9% year-on-year increase.

Italy remains the main buyer, importing 95.5 thousand tonnes, although this is 17% lower compared to the same period last season. At the same time, Kazakhstan continues to expand its export geography.

Other importers of Kazakh durum wheat include:

• Turkey — 21.6 thousand tonnes (+27x year-on-year);
• Latvia — 10.5 thousand tonnes (down 2.6x year-on-year);
• Uzbekistan — 2.5 thousand tonnes (+9% year-on-year);
• Tajikistan — 1.4 thousand tonnes (down 3.35x year-on-year).

In addition, Kazakhstan has started supplying new markets this season, including Portugal (7.7 thousand tonnes), Tunisia (23.6 thousand tonnes), and Afghanistan (2.4 thousand tonnes), where no exports were recorded a year earlier. The recovery in exports is driven by the expected extension of transport subsidies, which supports shipments to distant markets, with the export forecast for the current season raised to 350 thousand tonnes.

Tags: Kazakhstan, export