Kazakhstan has prepared an Export Roadmap for Processed Oilseed Products for 2026–2028.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the Roadmap includes steps to expand the raw material base, modernize processing plants, develop logistics, and support farmers. The main goal is to increase the export of processed oilseed products—sunflower oil and sunflower millcake, an important component in the production of feed for poultry and livestock—to $1 billion by 2028.
The Roadmap was developed by the Ministry of Trade and Integration, QazTrade Trade Policy Development Center JSC, the National Association of Oilseed Processors, the International Trade Centre (ITC), with the support from the European Union.
According to Deputy Minister of Agriculture Yermek Kenzhekhanuly, Kazakhstan’s oilseed processing industry is currently a key component of the country’s food security. In recent years, the area under oilseed crops has doubled to 3.9 million hectares, oilseed processing has grown by 12% to exceed 700,000 tons, and exports have increased by 29% to 582,000 tons.
“Thanks to state support measures, Kazakhstan has become one of the top 10 global sunflower oil exporters and ranks third in sunflower millcake supplies to the European Union. We fully meet Central Asia’s demand for sunflower millcake. The potential for further development is enormous. A scientifically based increase in the area under oilseed crops should reach 5 million hectares, which will allow Kazakhstan to become one of the world’s top three sunflower oil exporters,” said Kenzhekhanuly.
According to QazTrade, the Roadmap aims to address the industry’s key imbalance: global demand for Kazakhstani sunflower oil and millcake exceeds current production levels by more than 30 times, while domestic oilseed processing plants are operating at only 35% of their capacity.
According to Yadykar Ibragimov, Chairman of the National Association of Oilseed Processors, “Today, demand is growing faster than we can produce. Processing plants are working below their capacity, yet markets demand our products. For the industry to develop sustainably, we need to unite the efforts of farmers, seed growers, processors, and logistics operators. The roadmap establishes such a system for the first time. If we ensure a stable supply of raw materials and remove infrastructural constraints, Kazakhstan will sell not raw materials, but finished products with high added value.”
Photo: gov.kz
