Infrastructure Challenge: Is Kazakhstan’s Elevator System Ready for a Record Harvest of Pulses and Oilseeds?

Kazakhstan’s agricultural sector is undergoing a historic shift: farmers are massively moving from traditional wheat to high-margin pulses and oilseed crops. However, behind the impressive growth in planted areas lies a serious risk that could turn into a collapse for farmers during the harvest season. The problem of infrastructure unpreparedness for the new market realities was discussed in an exclusive podcast between Agrosearch CEO Zhenis Shaimerdenov and the Head of the Analytics Committee of the Grain Union of Kazakhstan (GUK), Yevgeny Karabanov.

A sharp diversification of sowings has led to a boom in alternative crops. This year, the area under pulses has increased by 59%, and under oilseeds — by a record 46%. According to Yevgeny Karabanov, this situation creates an unprecedented load on the existing storage system. “The infrastructure of our grain-receiving enterprises is mostly not designed for pulses and oilseeds,” the expert noted. This could cause major problems, especially in the event of a rainy harvest, when the crop would require immediate drying and conditioning.

To address this systemic problem, the government is preparing countermeasures. As the GUK representative reported, a joint program with the Ministry of Agriculture is now being developed for the reconstruction of existing elevators and the construction of new ones adapted for receiving pulses and oilseeds. The main focus will be on modernizing existing grain-receiving points. “It is in any case cheaper than building an elevator in an open field,” Karabanov explained. This approach will allow the use of existing infrastructure — railway and road access, laboratories, weighing facilities, and administrative buildings — significantly reducing costs and speeding up the process.

The goal of the program is to achieve maximum effect with limited financial resources, covering all key agricultural regions, including North Kazakhstan, Akmola, Kostanay, and others. Despite the urgency of the problem, immediate solutions should not be expected. According to Karabanov, the program is still “in its infancy” and will not realistically start working before next year. It is expected to be financed through “cheap and long-term money” from state financial institutions.

Thus, successful diversification has posed a new challenge to Kazakhstan’s agricultural sector. While farmers prepare for a record harvest, the entire storage and logistics system is awaiting urgent modernization, on which both farmers’ incomes and the future of new export markets will depend.

Watch the full version of the exclusive interview with Yevgeny Karabanov on our YouTube channel