Russia Surpasses Kazakhstan as Wheat Supplier to Kyrgyzstan

Russia has overtaken Kazakhstan as the primary wheat supplier to Kyrgyzstan in the first half of 2026, according to data from the Kyrgyz statistical service. This shift is driven by significant price disparities between Russian and Kazakh grain.

In the first six months of the year, Russia exported 220,200 tons of wheat to Kyrgyzstan, valued at $47.1 million - a 4.8-fold increase compared to the same period last year. Conversely, Kazakh exports plummeted, with Kyrgyzstan purchasing only 64,300 tons of wheat from Kazakhstan, totaling $14.5 million, a 50% drop in monetary terms year-on-year.

Russian barley exports also showed a similar trajectory of rapid expansion, rising from a negligible 50 tons ($9,800) last year to 15,200 tons ($2.98 million) in H1 2026 - a more than 300-fold increase in volume. However, Kazakhstan maintains a slight edge in the barley segment, supplying 16,800 tons valued at $3.3 million.