Kazakhstan resumes grain supplies to Iran

ASTANA. March 18 (Interfax) - Kazakh grain exporters have resumed shipments to Iran under existing contracts after a brief pause caused by military actions in the Middle East, the press service of Kazakhstan's Food Contract Corporation told Interfax.

"Kazakh grain shippers, after a short pause, continue to export grain to Iran under existing contracts. Food Contract Corporation is ensuring grain transshipment to Iran through its subsidiary Ak Bidai-Terminal LLP in the city of Aktau," the press service said.

Since the start of 2026, some 31,000 tonnes of Kazakh grain have been shipped through the terminal to the Iranian market, the corporation said.

It said no force majeure cases had been declared under contracts with Iran to date. The company is monitoring demand for grain products from Iranian partners and is ready to conclude new contracts if there is interest.

Iran is a traditional buyer of Kazakh grain, particularly wheat, barley and corn. In 2025, Kazakhstan shipped about 1 million tonnes of wheat to the country.

Due to military actions in the Middle East, Kazakh barley exporters adopted in early March a wait-and-see approach and suspended shipments to Iran. The Agriculture Ministry said at the time that Kazakhstan would diversify barley export supplies to other countries if demand from its largest consumer, Iran, declined.

Kazakhstan has exported 8.9 million tonnes of grain since the start of the current agricultural year in September 2025, a 12.7% increase from the same period last year, the Agriculture Ministry said Wednesday.

Exports since September totaled 8.9 million tonnes as of March 18, up from 7.9 million tonnes a year earlier.

Deliveries to Uzbekistan, the largest importer of Kazakh grain, rose nearly 14% to 7.5 million tonnes. Exports to Kyrgyzstan nearly doubled to 354,000 tonnes, while shipments to Afghanistan increased 18% to 1.3 million tonnes. Grain exports to Turkmenistan grew 50% to 145,000 tonnes.

The ministry has said it plans to export 13 million tonnes of grain from the new harvest during the current agricultural year, roughly maintaining the level of the previous year.

Kazakhstan increased its grain harvest by 2% in 2025 to 27 million tonnes, with an average yield of 1.7 tonnes per hectare. In 2024, farmers harvested 26.5 million tonnes with an average yield of 1.6 tonnes per hectare.

Food Contract Corporation is managed by Kazakhstan's Agriculture Ministry. The company was established in 1995 to maintain the state grain reserve, stabilize the domestic grain market, facilitate grain exports, and represent the republic's interests in export markets.