Kazakhstan Requests Suspension of Sunflower Imports from Russia
The Committee of State Inspection in the agro-industrial complex of Kazakhstan has requested that Russia's Rosselkhoznadzor suspend the issuance of phytosanitary certificates starting from October 23, 2026, for seed and food sunflowers intended for import from Russia to Kazakhstan. This was reported by the APK News agency, citing an official letter.
The document states that Kazakhstani quarantine phytosanitary control authorities have noted an increase in the detection of quarantine pests in batches of sunflower seeds entering the country. The Kazakh authorities have connected this request with ensuring quarantine phytosanitary safety.
In 2025 and the period of 2026 so far, experts have recorded 23 cases of the presence of sunflower phomopsis (Diaporthe helianthi) in the seeds. The majority of sunflower seeds imported by Kazakhstan come from Russia, identified in the letter as a key supplier of this product to the Kazakh market.
Sunflower phomopsis is a disease capable of affecting crops and reducing yields. The appeal indicates that the proposed measure will be temporary and is aimed solely at protecting Kazakhstan's agricultural sector from the potential introduction and further spread of the disease.
"We are conducting an analytical review of risk assessments and developing proposals to maintain the favorable quarantine phytosanitary condition of our territory," the letter from the Committee of State Inspection in the agro-industrial complex within the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan states.
In the same week, the head of the Kazakh Union of Arable Farmers, Viktor Aslanov, expressed concerns about the large-scale import of cheap Russian sunflowers into the country. He stated that while oil processing plants received state support to assist domestic producers, they are sourcing raw materials from abroad and exporting the produced goods without considering the interests of the local agro-industrial sector.
The National Association of Oilseed Processors disputed the assertion about the large-scale import of sunflowers, explaining that the import is due to the underutilization of processing facilities. This discussion on imports occurs amid record sunflower yields in both Russia and Kazakhstan during the 2026/27 season.
