Kazakhstan's New Export Success: Ice Cream Sales Break Records

Kazakhstan's recent growth in ice cream production and export is drawing attention with its figures. According to data released by the country's National Statistics Bureau, local enterprises managed to produce exactly 35 thousand 100 tons of the cold dessert in the first five-month period of 2026. This production volume reveals how much the capacity and efficiency of the country's food industry have increased. Officials note that this steady rise in production both meets domestic market demand and provides a great advantage for expansion into foreign markets. Industry representatives state that ice cream has transformed into a strategic export product for Kazakhstan. Behind this success lies both innovations in production technologies and the achievement of quality standards at an international level.

The heart of ice cream production undoubtedly stands out as the Almatı region. In this region alone, 23 thousand 300 tons of ice cream were produced, representing approximately two-thirds of the country's total production; this rate corresponds to 66.3 percent of the entire sector. Other important centers prominent in production were recorded as the Türkistan region with 6 thousand tons, the city of Almatı with 1 thousand 300 tons, and the Akmola region with 1 thousand 100 tons, respectively. This geographical distribution is of great importance as it shows that production facilities are concentrated in specific agricultural and logistics centers. In particular, the favorable climate, strong infrastructure, and proximity to raw materials of the Almatı region lay the groundwork for such a high concentration. These production networks in different regions of the country offer the possibility of uninterrupted supply to every corner of the domestic market.

When consumer preferences and market dynamics are analyzed, it is understood that the most produced ice cream varieties are classic flavors. Classic plain ice cream ranks first with a production volume of 15 thousand 200 tons, followed by rich milk ice cream (plombir) with 14 thousand 300 tons. These two main categories alone account for more than 80 percent of the country's total ice cream production, becoming the dominant force in the market. Manufacturers continue to invest in these areas due to the cultural bond and unchanging demand of the public for traditional tastes. However, it is observed that the production of light or fruit-flavored ice cream for some niche markets is also gradually increasing. Despite this, rich milk and classic recipes continue to be the undisputed locomotive of the Kazakhstan ice cream sector.

Alongside strong production in the domestic market, Kazakh ice cream has also started to be increasingly preferred in international markets. In the period covering the months of January and April of 2026, export figures soared; a total of 6 thousand 400 tons of ice cream was sold abroad in exchange for 24.8 million dollars. Compared to the same period of the previous year, an immense increase of 46.4 percent was recorded in export volume. Even more striking was the profitability of these exports; as the revenue generated from exports signed a new record with a massive 77 percent increase. By keeping the amount of ice cream it sells abroad 2 thousand 900 tons more than the amount it imports, Kazakhstan maintained its position as a net exporter in this field. This situation proves that the country has reduced its foreign dependence in the ice cream trade and has risen to the position of a country that provides foreign exchange inflows.

The largest and most loyal buyer of Kazakh ice cream was undoubtedly the neighboring country, Russia; exactly 4 thousand 300 tons of products were dispatched to Russia in the first four months of the year. In addition to this, remarkable increase rates were achieved in exports to Kyrgyzstan by 68.4 percent, and to Uzbekistan by 27.7 percent. It is observed that almost all of the country's ice cream exports, precisely 99.9 percent, were made to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries. This situation reveals how decisive regional trade agreements and geographical proximity are on trade. On the other hand, Kazakhstan imported 3 thousand 400 tons (12.9 million dollars) of ice cream during the same period; the leading countries in this production were listed as Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkey. This mutual flow of regional trade both increases competition and offers consumers the opportunity to access a wider range of products.