Kazakhstan increased its wheat export quota for May to 250,000 tonnes, from 200,000 tonnes in April, and more than doubled the quota for wheat flour to 150,000 tonnes, Deputy Agriculture Minister Aidarkhan Saparov said. In April, Kazakhstan had initially established an export ban on wheat flour but quickly canceled the ban and imposed a monthly export quota to ensure there are sufficient grain stocks to tide it over during a period of coronavirus-related emergency.

Saparov also told a briefing that the Central Asian nation may abolish the quotas in June. He said Kazakhstan planned to harvest at least as much grain this year as it did in 2019. Kazakhstan is a major supplier to the region, particularly to Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan, which rely heavily on Kazakh wheat and wheat flour.