Agricultural Market Ahead of Harvest: Sell or Wait?

Analysts of the research bureau “Grain and Oilseed Crops. Kazakhstan” have presented fresh trade recommendations for the country’s farmers. While prices for key grain crops such as wheat and barley are on the rise, producers of oilseeds should consider selling their stocks.

Wheat and Barley
The grain market has shown noticeable activity. The main growth drivers have been 3rd-class wheat with gluten content up to 25%, durum wheat, and barley. For instance, the price of durum wheat with protein content of 14% and 15%+ rose sharply by 10 tenge, reaching 94 and 107 tenge per kilogram respectively. Barley of the 2nd class also added 4 tenge in price, trading at 76 tenge.
Experts emphasize that further price dynamics for the new wheat harvest will depend on three key factors: weather conditions during the ripening and harvesting period, the government’s export policy, and the level of domestic demand. For farmers, this is a signal to closely monitor the market and make balanced sales decisions “as needed.”

Oilseeds and Legumes
A completely different situation is unfolding in the oilseed sector. Analysts give a clear recommendation — SELL — for crops such as flax, rapeseed, sunflower, safflower, and soybeans. This is due to the fact that no favorable conditions are expected in the near future for price growth in this segment. The most telling example is the decline in sunflower prices, which fell by 20 tenge. The only exception in this category is red lentils, whose price increased by 10 tenge per kilogram. This makes it an attractive asset for those seeking profitable deals.