Kazakhstan’s rice industry, often referred to as the country’s “white gold,” has seen remarkable changes in recent years. In the first 10 months of 2023, the country produced 174.8 thousand tons of rice, nearly the same amount as in the previous year, with a slight decrease of just 0.1%. Despite the steady production, Kazakhstan’s rice exports saw a more significant decline, dropping 17% to 84.9 thousand tons. However, the financial returns from these exports remained significant, reaching $33.4 million.
While exports to Uzbekistan dropped drastically by 2.4 times (to 23.8 thousand tons), Kazakhstan saw growth in shipments to several other markets. Russia, a key importer, increased its rice purchases by 14%, reaching 27.1 thousand tons. Other countries such as Tajikistan (+1.5 times), Ukraine (+2.3%), Azerbaijan (+6.3%), and Iraq (+1.9 times) also showed notable growth in imports of Kazakh rice. Afghanistan, a significant buyer, imported 795.9 tons, an increase of 1.8 times.
Perhaps most interestingly, Kazakhstan’s rice made its way to markets in the U.S. and Turkey. In 2023, the country exported 211.9 tons to the U.S. (+16.6%) and 266.8 tons to Turkey (+9.2 times), reflecting a growing international interest in Kazakhstan’s rice.
Despite the increase in exports to some countries, Kazakhstan also reduced its rice imports by 50%, with the total import volume dropping to 16.1 thousand tons. The main suppliers to Kazakhstan remained Russia (7.7 thousand tons), India (3.9 thousand tons), and Pakistan (2.1 thousand tons), but the country also sourced small amounts of rice from China (736.3 tons) and Thailand (1.3 thousand tons). Notably, imports from China and Thailand surged dramatically, growing 113.2 times and 4.4 times, respectively.
On the domestic front, rice prices in Kazakhstan saw a slight decrease of 2% in December 2023, with an average price of 654 tenge per kilogram. Prices varied across regions, with the highest rice prices found in Aktau (893 tenge), while the lowest prices were in Almaty (564 tenge) and Kyzylorda (556 tenge).
Despite facing challenges in the global market, Kazakhstan’s rice industry continues to grow. The country has managed to expand its rice exports to emerging markets like the U.S. and Turkey, while also reducing its dependency on rice imports. With a favorable production environment and increasing demand from key regions, Kazakhstan is well-positioned to remain a significant player in the global rice trade.
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