OECD: Kazakh farmers lose $626 million a year on average due to low domestic prices

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) compared the prices at which Kazakh farmers sell their products with the value of comparable goods at the border. Sunflower, rice, maize, eggs and pork turned out to be cheaper on the domestic market. As a result, in 2023–2025 producers of certain agricultural goods lost an average of $626 million a year: $390 million in 2023, $632 million in 2024 and, according to preliminary data, $856 million in 2025. Experts cite price caps and export restrictions among the causes.

Producers of wheat, barley, milk and cotton, by contrast, benefited from higher domestic prices, earning an average of $2.33 billion in additional revenue annually. Since February 2023, exports of sunflower seeds have been subject to a duty of 20% of the shipment value, but no less than 100 euros per tonne. In February 2026, the Agency for Protection and Development of Competition proposed gradually lowering it.

Taking into account the impact of government policy on prices, the OECD estimated total support to the sector at $4.34 billion a year, or about 1.6% of GDP. Since 2025, recipients of 100 million tenge or more a year under certain programmes have been required to maintain or increase output. The OECD notes that harvests also depend on the weather and suggests linking subsidies to indicators farmers can influence themselves, such as preserving soil fertility.