Although the crop of peas in Kazakhstan increased substantially in 2017, their exports have started sinking. The reasons include both intensifying competition among exporters of this crop and weaker foreign demand.
Kazakhstan exported some 20.2 thousand tons of peas in the first seven months of 2017-2018 (September-March), down 4-fold YoY.
Turkey, which has been the main export destination for Kazakh peas before, is now fully switched to purchases from Russia and Ukraine. Thus, Kazakhstan has lost its top pea buyer; only minor importers are left.
Both Ukraine and Russia received bumper pea crops in 2017, thus export potential in these countries increased considerably.
For the same reason, Kazakh pea exports to the EU also decreased. Thus, pea deliveries from Ukraine to the European Union expanded more than 5-fold in September-March against the same period in MY 2016-2017.
Ukraine during the first ten months of the 2017-2018 season increased exports by 50% from the whole of MY 2016-2017. Thus, Ukraine has already almost fully realized its pea export potential for the current season.
Russia seems unlikely to fully realize its export potential, i. e. to sell out its domestic pea surplus. Nevertheless, this is also a record export volume for Russia.
Regarding the outlook for the upcoming 2018-2019 season, all indications are that the Black Sea region will continue increasing its role in the world pea market. (UkrAgroConsult/Business World Magazine)