We spoke with Kintal Islamov, head of Atameken-Agro, about this year’s lentil harvest in Kazakhstan. We discussed logistical constraints amid ongoing military conflicts, the reduction in planted acreage projected for 2026, and the mystery of the "missing" 300,000 tonnes of Kazakhstani lentils.

• Lentil acreage in Kazakhstan is expected to decline by approximately 15% in 2026, as farmers shift toward more profitable and less risky crops.
• An unexplained discrepancy between official production and export data has raised questions regarding the country’s lentil supply balance.
• Despite ongoing logistics disruptions, Kazakhstan is increasing its domestic processing of lentils and seeking to expand exports to new markets.

Could you please provide information on lentil exports last year, as well as the production situation for 2026?

It is very difficult to speak about Kazakhstan as a whole, because there is something wrong with the statistics. According to official data, we harvested 776,000 tons last year, while exports amounted to 440,000 tons. It is unclear what happened to the remaining 300,000 tons.

What I know for certain is that there are no such large stockpiles in Kazakhstan at the moment. By my estimates, they do not exceed 100,000 tonnes—in fact, they are more likely in the range of 50,000–60,000 tonnes.

We don’t have statistics for this year yet, but when I travel through the regions where lentils are grown and visit farms, I can see that less has been planted than last year.

In a February interview with our publication Mehmet Sonmez from Armada Foods has suggested that the area planted with lentils in Kazakhstan could decrease by 15–20%. Do you agree with this estimate?

That is quite possible, as at Atameken-Agro we have reduced the area dedicated to lentils by 15% this year. Farmers are favoring oilseeds and grain crops due to a decline in lentil prices and the fact that growing lentils is significantly more challenging than cultivating other crops.

Lentil harvesting is now underway. How does it go?

So far, everything is going well, but there are occasional rains that could affect the condition of the crop. We’ll see how things develop.

During our last conversation, you mentioned that Atameken-Agro might increase its processing of red lentils within Kazakhstan, rather than selling them to Turkey for processing. What volume are you currently processing yourselves?

Every year, a new processing facility emerges—their numbers are steadily growing. Most of the lentils produced in Kazakhstan are exported to Turkey.

However, I believe that Kazakhstan already possesses the capacity to process at least 30% of its own lentils, and we expect this capacity to grow further in the future.

If prices remain at their current levels, we will be able to process and sell lentils at a lower cost than Turkish companies. Some might argue that the quality in Turkey is better, but that is simply a matter of time and experience. We are improving with each passing year, and over time, Kazakhstani lentils will become increasingly attractive. We have already begun shipments to Azerbaijan and Afghanistan.

I would also like to ask about this year’s pea harvest in Kazakhstan. Has demand for Kazakhstani peas from China increased recently?

Pea production volumes are not as high as those for lentils, but we are seeing demand from China. Growing peas is more attractive: they offer higher yields than lentils, and their production is more economically advantageous. I expect the area planted with peas to remain roughly at last year’s level—around 200,000 hectares.

From last year’s harvest, Atameken-Agro exported approximately 12,000 tons of yellow peas to China.

Are Kazakhstani farmers considering the possibility of growing other crops for the Chinese market, such as beans?

Such crops can be grown in southern Kazakhstan; however, farmers prefer corn over legumes. Furthermore, they lack experience in cultivating these crops, and, as far as I understand, this area does not yet hold much appeal for them.

I know that attempts have been made in Kazakhstan to grow mung beans. Has there been any success in this regard?

Work is ongoing, but the current climatic conditions are not suitable for this crop. We are looking for other varieties that might be better adapted to the local climate. We haven’t abandoned the idea entirely, but the results so far have been unsatisfactory; there simply isn’t enough warmth to grow this crop.

Previously, you supplied pulses to the UAE via Iran, but I assume that route is no longer viable. How are you handling the situation? Are you still able to ship products to the UAE?

You are right; we cannot use this route at the moment. Even shipments to Turkey are proving difficult due to the logistics situation in the Black Sea. The situation has become practically catastrophic. We are currently looking for ways to manage it. Within just a few days, our shipments could come to a complete halt across all directions, so we are hoping for the possibility of using the Black Sea route.

There is an option to transport goods via Georgia, through the port of Poti, but, unfortunately, its capacity is insufficient. We hope that the port will see further development in the future. Transport volumes could be increased by lowering railway tariffs in Azerbaijan and Georgia, given that the route from Kazakhstan requires passing through three countries: Russia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.

We hope that the situation in the Black Sea will be resolved by the end of the year, as we will have 400,000 tons of lentils that can be shipped to Turkey.