Kazakhstan poised to fill Russia's niche in EU flaxseed market - analystKazakhstan is well-positioned to fill Russia's niche in the EU's flaxseed market, given its surging exports and robust European demand, says Yevgeny Karabanov, head of the analytics committee at Kazakhstan’s Grain Union.Kazakhstan exported 35,400 tonnes of flaxseed in April, down 13,100 tonnes from March due to low stock levels. However, overall exports from September 2024 to April 2025 more than doubled to 413,800 tonnes, compared to 192,300 tonnes in the same period the previous year, Karabanov noted in a Telegram post.Flaxseed cultivation in Kazakhstan is expected to expand to 1 million hectares in 2025, driven by strong demand from the EU, where a 20% tariff on Russian flaxseed is in effect, as well as favorable prices. Current EXW (Ex Works) prices range between 300,000-305,000 tenge per tonne ($588-$598).Starting next year, the EU will raise tariffs on Russian and Belarusian flaxseed to 50%, while Canada’s production this year is projected to remain below 230,000 tonnes. Meanwhile, Russia exported 167,000 tonnes of flaxseed to the EU from August 2024 to March 2025, accounting for nearly half of the bloc’s total imports of 378,000 tonnes during that period. The EU’s annual flaxseed imports average around 600,000 tonnes."So far, only Kazakhstan can truly replace Russia's exports to the EU," Karabanov said. "The significant growth in Kazakh flaxseed exports to the EU compared to previous marketing years already demonstrates this shift. Russia’s future exports will likely be limited to China and Turkey."Karabanov maintained the forecast for Kazakhstan’s 2024/25 agricultural year flaxseed exports at 500,000 tonnes. The key buyers of Kazakh flaxseed include Belgium, Poland, Germany, Turkey, Afghanistan, and China. (ICE ALMATY)

Fonte notizia: INTERFAX