In Kazakhstan, the export duty on sunflower seeds is being canceled to support farmers before planting.

In Kazakhstan, as of February 15, it is proposed to cancel the export duty on sunflower seeds. The Grain Union of the Republic of Kazakhstan emphasizes that this step is necessary to support farmers before sowing.

The union points out the large reserves of sunflower seeds in the domestic market. According to the National Statistics Bureau, as of January 1, 2024, the reserves amount to 1.074 million tonnes.

Union representatives explain that the cancellation of the duty is also relevant due to the lack of drying of sunflower seeds by agricultural producers. High humidity of oilseeds during storage leads to deterioration of quality and reduced demand.

They also note that local processors have accumulated large stocks not only of sunflower seeds but also of crude oil. The export of finished products to China has significantly decreased due to logistics problems.

The cancellation of the export duty will allow farmers to sell sunflower seeds at a fair price in Uzbekistan and China, where there is demand for them. The price difference between the domestic and export prices is approximately 60,000 tenge (12,000 rubles) per ton.

According to the union's estimates, this will allow agricultural enterprises to receive additional income of 13.6 billion tenge (2.7 billion rubles).