ASTANA, Kazakhstan, August 7. Kazakhstan has significantly increased its barley exports in the current marketing year, sending out 1.82 million tons from September 2024 through August 2025, which is double the volume exported during the same period last season (+952,600 tons).
Data obtained by Trend from the country's Ministry of Agriculture shows that the growth in exports was due to a high barley harvest of 3.84 million tons, increased demand for Kazakh grain from Iran and China, and competitive grain prices.
Meanwhile, Iran imported 1.064 million tons (an increase of almost 30 times compared to the previous season);
China — 414,400 tons;
Uzbekistan — 125,200 tons.
The heightened export demand positively affected domestic market prices. While the price of barley was 50,000–52,000 tenge per ton (approx. $95–$99) in September 2024, by early August 2025 it had risen to 85,000–87,000 tenge per ton (approx. $161–$165).
Barley export volumes for the 2024–2025 marketing year are projected to reach 1.9 million tons.
The strengthening of grain prices has had a positive impact on Kazakhstan's agricultural producers. It helps maintain the profitability of farming operations, enables farmers to cover current expenses on time without needing additional loans, and allows them to invest in storage and development of their farms.
