Kazakhstan has ranked among the world’s largest wheat producers, placing 11th globally and accounting for around 2.3% of total worldwide production.

Kazakhstan’s share of global wheat production is higher than the combined share of other Central Asian countries and Eurasian Economic Union member states, excluding Russia, Qazinform News Agency reports.

Five countries and regions account for roughly 65% of global wheat production. The European Union leads with a 17.2% share, followed by China at 16.6%, India at 14%, Russia at 10.7%, and the US at 6.4%.

Meanwhile, Kazakhstan is reshaping its crop structure by reducing its reliance on grain production and expanding oilseed cultivation.

The share of grain crops in the country’s total planted area has declined from 72% to 66%, largely due to a reduction in wheat acreage. At the same time, oilseed cultivation has expanded to 5.2 million hectares, raising its share of total planted land from 13% to 18%.

Farmers have so far harvested 13.5 million hectares, or 83% of the country’s grain crop area, collecting 19.9 million tons of grain at an average yield of 14.7 centners per hectare.

Government forecasts cited by analysts indicate that Kazakhstan’s overall grain harvest is expected to exceed the long-term average. The projected output is expected to cover domestic demand for food grain, animal feed and seed while allowing the country to maintain its export volumes.

Oilseed harvesting is also progressing. Farmers have harvested 2.4 million hectares and collected 2.4 million tons so far. By the end of the harvesting campaign, Kazakhstan expects total oilseed production to exceed 5 million tons.

Kazakhstan is also seeking to expand deep grain processing. Six major investment projects with a combined processing capacity of 5.8 million tons are planned for phased implementation through 2029. Total investment in the projects is estimated at $4 billion.

Two deep corn-processing projects have already been launched in 2026: Kazkrahmal in the Turkistan region and a project by China’s Fufeng Group in the Zhambyl region.