Kazakh sunseed exports hitting new highs

So, they totaled 41.5 KMT in January, up 6% from the previous month (39.1 KMT) and 2.3 times as much as in January 2017 (18.3 KMT). Kazakh sunseed exports in September-January 2017/18 reached 149.6 KMT, up 56.5% from the same period a year ago (95.6 KMT).

The range of export destinations for Kazakh sunseed somewhat narrowed this season, whereas key importers increased its purchases. China, the top buyer of Kazakh sunseed, imported 80.7 KMT in September-January 2017/18 (54% of total exports). Uzbekistan, the second largest importer, bought 59.6 KMT of sunseed at the time (40% of total exports). 

This season’s record sunseed exports make it more difficult for local crushers to purchase enough feedstock – Kazakh fat-and-oil producers themselves state this increasingly often.