Browse Data and Analysis

A larger than average crop this year caused Kazakhstan to introduce export subsidies for shipping wheat to Europe and other Central Asian countries effective through September 1, 2025.

Jordan, a Middle Eastern country with limited arable land and severe water scarcity, heavily relies on grain imports to meet domestic consumption needs.

Kazakhstan’s total wheat production has been revised up to 16.5 million metric tons as good weather during last year’s summer vegetative period resulted in a larger than average crop. Barley production estimates are raised slightly to 3.8 million metric tons.

Jordan continues to rely heavily on imports for essential staples such as wheat, barley, corn, and rice due to limited domestic production and scarce water resources.

Kazakh farmers are finishing harvest, having dealt with rains in early September and cold night temperatures in October that reduced overall quality but only marginally affected quantity.

Biblical rain in Kazakhstan’s major growing regions has cut wheat and barley production, reducing its quantity and quality.

Kazakhstan is expected to have a bumper crop following last year’s troubled production. After heavy rains and flooding in May 2024 delayed planting, Kazakhstan’s primary growing regions have had near perfect weather, greatly raising the outlook for the upcoming fall harvest.

Wheat production is expected to recover this marketing year as higher soil moisture raises yield. West and North Kazakhstan were impacted by heavy flooding, with the areas of Atyrau, Kostanay, and Almola most negatively affected.

MY2024/25 wheat imports are estimated to reach 1.2 million metric tons as Jordan's government begins filling its strategic grain reserves to mitigate inflationary shocks caused by geopolitical crises. MY2024/25 wheat exports are lowered to 50,000 tons, down 40,000 tons from MY2023/24, as in-kind food assistance programs supplying Syria wind down.

Marketing year 2023/2024 wheat production is expected to drop sharply to around three-quarters of last year’s level as a result of the June drought and excessive rains in the fall of 2023 that affected Kazakhstan’s major grain producing Northern region.

Jordan’s MY 2023/24 wheat imports are forecasted to reach 1.25 million MT -- with Ukraine, Romania, and Russia dominating wheat imports in the first seven months of calendar year 2023.

On October 20, 2023, Jordan notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) of a new Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measure on poultry meat imports (G/SPS/N/JOR/44).