Kazakhstan’s Fertilizer Production Declines as Imports Rise

Kazakhstan ranks last among Central Asian countries in fertilizer use, with domestic production declining while the share of imports continues to rise, Orda.kz reports.

According to Energyprom.kz, in January-February 2025, Kazakhstan’s nitrogen fertilizer production decreased by 3.4% year-on-year, while phosphorus fertilizer output fell by more than half.

Data from 2022 shows that Kazakhstan's farmers applied only 2.4 kg of nitrogen and 1.33 kg of phosphorus fertilizers per hectare of arable land — the lowest usage rate in Central Asia.

In 2024, overall fertilizer production in Kazakhstan dropped to 367.5 thousand tons, marking a 9.3% decline. The nitrogen fertilizer market relies heavily on imports (57.8%), whereas the country remains self-sufficient in phosphorus fertilizers.

Sales of nitrogen fertilizers within the country have been declining for the second year in a row: in 2024, they amounted to 60.3 thousand tons, which is 16.6% less than the year before. Sales of phosphorus fertilizers, on the contrary, increased by 66.1%, reaching 17.1 thousand tons. However, despite this growth, the figures remain significantly below the 2017–2022 level, writes Energyprom.

Fertilizer availability and usage directly impact crop yields and food security, making this issue a concern for Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan is working on solutions to address the shortage, including constructing a new fertilizer plant in the Mangystau region. The 1.3 billion tenge project will be implemented by the Turkish company ESTA Construction and is expected to help improve the country’s fertilizer supply.

Original Author: Nikita Drobny