Kazakhstan significantly increased its vegetable oil production in 2025, reaching 888.8 thousand tons, up 17.4% compared to the previous year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.
The area sown with oilseed crops expanded to 3.9 million hectares, marking a 37.7% increase year-on-year. Sunflower acreage alone grew by 491.1 thousand hectares. The leading oilseed-producing regions include North Kazakhstan, Kostanay, Pavlodar, Akmola, East Kazakhstan regions and Abai region.
Regional authorities report that total oilseed harvest reached 4.8 million tons in 2025, compared to 3.3 million tons in 2024. Sunflower output amounted to 2.3 million tons.
Processing capacities across the country exceed 5 million tons annually. Sunflower oil production totaled 757.2 thousand tons, reflecting a 17.5% increase.
Vegetable oil exports rose by 34.6% in the first eleven months of 2025. The main export destinations were Uzbekistan (46%), China (33.7%), Tajikistan (13.1%), as well as Afghanistan and Turkmenistan.
Kazakhstan ranks 8th among the world’s top sunflower oil exporters and is among the top three suppliers of sunflower meal to the European Union.
To further strengthen the sector, the government continues expanding oilseed cultivation under the Agro-Industrial Development Concept through 2030. Since February 2023, an export duty of 20% (but not less than €100 per ton) has been imposed on sunflower exports. Processing enterprises benefit from concessional loans and an 80% reduced VAT rate.
Officials state that these measures are enhancing the competitiveness of domestic products and boosting their presence in foreign markets.
