14.10.2026, 06:11
Mandatory Payments Influence When Farmers Sell Their Grain
In Akmola and North Kazakhstan regions, farmers are forced to choose between storing their harvest in anticipation of better prices and selling grain to cover current expenses
Farms may want to wait for higher grain prices, but the agricultural season has its own payment schedule: loans, wages, fuel, and taxes must be paid by specific dates. As a result, some grain is sold not when the price seems favorable, but when a farm urgently needs cash.
In Akmola and North Kazakhstan regions, some farmers face a choice between storing their harvest and quickly settling their current financial obligations. Some keep their grain in storage while waiting for buyers. Others sell part of their harvest immediately after harvesting, sometimes at prices they themselves consider low.
In the Shal Akyn District of North Kazakhstan Region, one farmer said that during the harvest he sold grain directly from the field at offered prices of 63–65 because he needed to purchase diesel fuel and pay wages. Later, he still had approximately 500 tonnes of grain stored at an elevator, while a new offer stood at 75 excluding VAT. The farmer himself hoped to receive at least 85. He therefore continued storing part of his grain reserves while waiting for a more favorable price.
The farmer explained that he calculates the amount of grain to sell based on payment deadlines. If a substantial sum must be paid by a certain date, the farm has to find the money even when the offered price is unsatisfactory.
In Akmola Region, low yields make financial calculations even more difficult for some farmers. At one farm, the average grain yield was estimated at approximately 8 centners per hectare, while wheat with a gluten content of 30% was offered a price of 97,000 tenge excluding VAT. The farmer said there was demand, but selling at that price was unprofitable: the harvest volume was small, while the season's expenses still had to be recovered. At another farm, the wheat crop was almost completely destroyed, leaving insufficient grain even for seed.
Farmers have differing views on future price movements. Some expect prices to rise after the harvest is completed. Others fear a decline: many farms need to repay loans in autumn, which could result in larger volumes of grain entering the market at the same time. These are producers' opinions, not an established forecast.
