Kazakhstan expands 2026 grain and oilseed sowings to record 20.805 million hectares
Kazakhstan’s combined grain, pulse and oilseed area reached a record 20.805 million hectares in 2026, up 4.8% year on year. Farmers reduced wheat plantings while sharply expanding oilseed, barley and grain corn acreage in response to stronger margins and demand.
Total area reaches an all-time high
Kazakhstan planted a record 20.805 million hectares with grains, pulses and oilseeds in 2026, according to final data from the country’s Bureau of National Statistics cited by Zol.ru. The total was 949,000 hectares, or 4.8%, above the previous year and the highest recorded level.
Yevgeny Karabanov, head of the Analytics Committee at the Grain Union of Kazakhstan, said the increase came with a substantial change in the crop mix. Grain acreage declined by 1.8% to 14.855 million hectares, while pulses slipped by 0.8% to 770,800 hectares. Oilseed plantings, by contrast, surged 31.1% to a record 5.179 million hectares.
Wheat loses ground to higher-margin crops
The area planted with soft and durum wheat fell by 796,000 hectares, or 5.9%, to 11.399 million hectares, its lowest level in six years. Karabanov attributed the contraction to farmers switching land into more profitable oilseeds. The figures indicate that the record total acreage does not necessarily imply a larger wheat crop, because yields and weather will also determine production.
Barley gained 415,000 hectares, or 18.2%, to almost 2.7 million hectares, the largest area in five years. The crop benefited from favorable margins and a price close to that of wheat. Grain corn acreage rose by 105,000 hectares, or 59.6%, to 280,600 hectares, an eight-year high.
Karabanov linked the corn expansion to high prices, profitability and domestic demand from a deep-processing plant recently opened in Shu by China’s Fufeng Group Kazakhstan. The development shows how new processing capacity can directly influence planting decisions by creating a local outlet for farmers.
Oilseeds drive the expansion
Rapeseed recorded the largest percentage increase among oilseeds, rising 52.6% to an all-time high of 493,000 hectares. Demand, high prices and favorable margins supported the expansion. Oilseed flax increased by 557,000 hectares, or 41.3%, to a record 1.904 million hectares, placing Kazakhstan first globally by flax planting area, according to Karabanov.
Sunflower acreage climbed by 425,000 hectares, or 23.9%, to a record 2.202 million hectares. Karabanov again cited demand and profitability. Together, flax, sunflower and rapeseed account for much of the shift toward oilseeds and could increase the volume requiring drying, storage, handling and processing after harvest.
The broader diversification also favors safflower, corn and barley, while acreage is moving away from wheat, rice, soybeans and lentils. For producers, the change spreads exposure across more crops but increases the importance of crop-specific logistics, quality management and access to buyers.
Karabanov warned that Kazakhstan will need new and modernized grain-receiving facilities, elevators and on-farm handling sites. Without additional infrastructure, he said, further oilseed acreage growth will be difficult. The immediate production and export potential will still depend on yields and harvest conditions, but the acreage figures already signal a larger role for oilseeds in Kazakhstan’s agricultural supply chain.
