Kazakhstan's Flour Exports Soar on Afghanistan Demand

Kazakhstan's wheat flour exports have surged to their strongest level in years, driven largely by demand from Afghanistan. The country is on track to export over 2 million tonnes of flour this season, a significant increase from last year. Yevgeny Karabanov, chairman of the Analytics Committee of the Grain Union of Kazakhstan, attributes this growth to Afghanistan's purchases of Kazakh flour, which have increased by 21.5% in the first ten months of the current season.

Afghanistan has been heavily dependent on its neighbors for basic food supplies due to limited domestic milling capacity and dry conditions affecting wheat production. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimates Afghanistan's cereal import requirement at 3.7 million tonnes this year, mostly wheat flour. Meanwhile, Pakistan's closure of key border crossings has disrupted another important trade route.

Kazakhstan's flour exports are part of a broader increase in agricultural exports, with the country shipping over 13.9 million tonnes of grain and flour equivalent from September 2025 to July 30, 2026. This growth also aligns with Kazakhstan's efforts to add more value to its grain before exporting it.