Kazakhstan processes more than 5mn tons of grain annually, with agricultural processing remaining a key component of the country’s food industry, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Kazinform reported.
Speaking at a briefing of the Central Communications Service, Vice Minister of Agriculture Yerbol Taszhurekov said the main sectors of agricultural processing include grain, oilseed, meat and dairy industries.
In the oilseed sector, around 90 processing enterprises currently operate with a combined capacity exceeding 5mn tons. As a result, Kazakhstan significantly increased vegetable oil production, which reached 890,000 tons in 2025, up 17.4% year-on-year.
Kazakhstan also continues to develop deep grain processing, which converts grain into higher-value products such as starch, gluten, syrup and bioethanol. The country currently operates three deep-processing facilities with a combined capacity of over 500,000 tons.
In 2025, these plants produced 29,000 tons of corn starch, 28,000 tons of wheat starch, 13,000 tons of gluten, 82,000 tons of syrup, and 21,000 tons of bioethanol, according to the ministry.
Expansion plans
Authorities plan to launch six major investment projects aimed at expanding deep grain processing.
By 2028, Kazakhstan expects to commission new processing facilities with a combined capacity of 5.8mn tons per year, supported by investments totaling around 1.9 trillion tenge ($3.8bn).
The projects are expected to create more than 3,300 jobs and expand production of high-value products such as amino acids, syrups and vitamins.
The government also plans 13 new projects in oilseed processing worth 94bn ($188mn) tenge, as well as 12 dairy industry projects valued at 41bn ($82mn) tenge, which will add 165,000 tons of additional milk-processing capacity.
Broader agricultural growth
The expansion of processing capacity comes as Kazakhstan’s agricultural sector shows steady growth.
According to analysis by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations citing World Bank estimates, agricultural value added exceeded $11bn, representing an average annual increase of about 8% during 2023–2025 compared with the previous three-year period.
Production indicators have also improved, with average output of major agricultural crops rising by 13% over the same period.
Kazakhstan’s agricultural exports have also shown strong growth, with preliminary estimates indicating an increase of around 27%, according to FAO analysts.
Experts also highlighted Kazakhstan’s significant livestock potential. With 184mn hectares of pastureland, the country ranks fourth globally in pasture area, providing advantages such as relatively low production costs and opportunities for participation in carbon markets and agrotourism.
However, FAO specialists stressed the importance of strengthening veterinary controls and traceability systems to support sustainable growth in the livestock sector.
