Livestock farming - The Times Of Central Asia

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Livestock farming

ADB Approves $60 Million Loan for Livestock Farming in Uzbekistan

The Asian Development Bank has approved a $60 million concessional loan to help livestock farmers in Uzbekistan raise productivity and cope with drought and water shortages. The bank expects its Resilient Livestock Development Project to benefit about 29,000 smallholder farmers in the Bukhara, Kashkadarya, Navoi, and Samarkand regions and the Republic of Karakalpakstan. International financing totals $68 million, including a $5 million grant from the Green Climate Fund under the Glaciers to Farms Regional Program and a $3 million grant from the Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific. Smallholders are particularly vulnerable to drought and extreme heat because they depend heavily on affordable feed and grazing land. The project will help farmers grow drought- and salt-tolerant fodder crops, restore livestock watering points, and improve pasture management. Women who raise livestock will receive training and support in fodder production. Veterinary services will also be expanded. The project will use AI to monitor pasture conditions, while a mobile app will give farmers advice and early warnings about weather-related risks. Uzbekistan produces about 1.6 million metric tons of meat a year, against domestic demand of 2.15 million, according to the president’s office. In August, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed proposals to expand meat and dairy production from 2026 to 2028. Officials estimate the measures could yield an additional 190,000 metric tons of meat and plan to allocate $463 million to livestock development. The government aims to revive 103 livestock enterprises that have ceased operations. Under the proposal, the enterprises could restructure their debts or repay them in installments over ten years. They would also receive breeding stock and land to grow fodder. Once operations resume, they could produce 12,000 metric tons of meat and 40,000 metric tons of milk annually. An assessment of 20 livestock complexes in Karakalpakstan identified outstanding debts totaling 109.6 billion Uzbek soums (about $9 million). Half were classified as high risk. Most lacked sufficient land for fodder and adequate infrastructure. The government also aims to make better use of 75,000 hectares of fodder land in 13 districts specializing in livestock farming. Another 802 proposed livestock projects are worth a combined 3 trillion soums (about $250 million). Planned imports include 150,000 sheep from Mongolia, 100,000 breeding cattle from China and European countries, and a further 2,000 cattle from Belarus. Uzbekistan spent $780.4 million on imported meat products in the first nine months of 2026, according to Customs Committee figures. That was 14.5% more than the $681.8 million spent in the same period of 2025.

Pasture Management

Kyrgyzstan Pasture Restoration Plan Includes 7,200 Kilometers of Road Repairs

Kyrgyzstan plans to repair hundreds of bridges and more than 7,200 kilometers of roads to help livestock farmers reach remote grazing land as pastures near villages deteriorate. The Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry outlined the plans on October 29. It estimates that 184,000 hectares of pasture near settlements have been degraded and need restoration. To ease grazing pressure near villages, the ministry has identified a need to repair and restore 553 bridges and improve 7,206.3 kilometers of pasture access roads. It also plans to establish 406 livestock watering points and install 170 milk collection tanks. Plans to restore vegetation include reseeding pastures, controlling weeds unsuitable for livestock feed, and rotating grazing areas. Tractors would be used for sowing on flat terrain and specialized drones in areas that are difficult to reach. According to the ministry, pasture grass seeds were sown on 34,376.5 hectares of degraded land between 2023 and 2025. In September, it reported purchasing more than 186 metric tons of seeds for 50 million soms (about $570,000). Sowing was still underway in October. Kyrgyzstan already has a pasture development program for 2024–2029, approved in August 2024. It also calls for restoring degraded grazing land and improving pasture infrastructure. The latest announcement did not explain how the new plans differ from the existing program or specify their overall cost. In March 2025, the ministry said it had recommended annual restrictions on grazing near villages from April 15 to September 15. At the time, it estimated that 139,069 hectares had been degraded. It is unclear whether the higher figure in the latest announcement reflects further deterioration or a revised assessment. The ministry estimates the country’s total pasture area at about 10 million hectares. Pastures are the main source of livestock feed, so their deterioration affects feed availability and farmers’ incomes. Kyrgyzstan’s livestock numbers continued to rise in 2025, reaching approximately 1.8 million cattle and 6.3 million sheep and goats by the end of the year, increases of 1.7% and 0.8%, respectively, over 2024.

Camel Farming

Camel Farming Expands Across Central Asia as Climate Pressures Mount

Camels are gaining renewed economic importance in Central Asia as farmers seek new markets for their milk and governments look for livestock better suited to increasingly dry conditions. In Kazakhstan, camel numbers are rising and producers are developing markets for shubat, a fermented camel milk drink, and powdered camel milk. Uzbekistan, meanwhile, has begun working with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to develop camel husbandry in arid areas. Kazakhstan has more than 322,000 camels, according to government figures for 2026, an increase of 2.4% from the previous year. Most are raised in the vast arid lands in the west and south of the country. Camels are also an important part of Turkmenistan’s livestock sector. The herd numbered about 345,000 animals in 2020. Bactrian camels have traditionally dominated Kazakhstan’s camel herd. They can withstand sharp fluctuations between extreme heat and severe cold. Over the past two decades, Kazakhstan has also seen an increase in one-humped Arvana camels, a breed of Turkmen origin known for high milk productivity. In Turkmenistan, the Arvana is the mainstay of the industry. These camels can produce milk even when grazing on sparse desert pastures, feeding on salt-tolerant vegetation and bitter wormwood that are of little use to many other types of livestock. Milk Brings in the Money Milk offers camel farmers a product that can be sold throughout the year and increasingly processed into higher-value goods. A female Kazakh Bactrian camel can produce up to about 1,750 liters of milk annually, although yields vary considerably between breeds and farming systems. The main product on the domestic market is shubat, but larger producers have also begun processing camel milk for markets far beyond the communities where it is produced. One of the most prominent examples is Daulet-Beket LLP in the Almaty region. When a camel-milk processing plant opened there in 2021, the farm had around 5,000 camels and was producing up to five tons of shubat a day. The plant was designed to produce as much as 30 tons of powdered camel milk a month, with products being shipped to Russia and China. Smaller farms show how strong local demand can also sustain the industry. The Suleymanov family in the Almaty region started with two camels. By the time they were profiled in 2021, their herd had grown to around 70 animals. Sixteen were being milked each day, producing 52 to 53 liters. The family said customers frequently bought their shubat before it even reached Almaty. Camel Farming in Turkmenistan Turkmen state media has also highlighted privately run camel farms. A 2024 report said farmer Serdarkuli Berdyliev in Ahal province kept 320 camels, including 140 females. Average milk yields were around six liters a day. Information about private agriculture in Turkmenistan largely comes through tightly controlled state media. Camel milk production continues to feature in official coverage alongside the country’s long-established herding traditions. Camel wool remains a marketable product, although its market is much smaller than that for milk. In Turkmenistan, it...

Agriculture

Livestock Numbers Are Growing in Kyrgyzstan as Authorities Expand Pasturelands

Spring fieldwork has begun in Kyrgyzstan, including the sowing of wheat and barley and efforts to expand the forage base for livestock farming. The Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry has also started planting pastures with forage crops. Myktybek Kalandarov, head of the Department of Breeding Livestock Production, confirmed the work in an interview on state radio. Kalandarov said that approximately 15,000 hectares of pastureland have already been sown with forage crops this year. A further 10,000 hectares of high-altitude pastures were planted in the autumn. Authorities plan to continue expanding pasture resources, with another 10,000 hectares scheduled for planting in the coming months. About $570,000 has been allocated in 2026 to support these measures. Kalandarov added that revenue generated from pasture use should be reinvested in their restoration and development. “Revenue comes from payments for pasture use, about $0.23 per sheep or goat grazed and approximately $1.15 per cow,” he said. The increase in pasture investment is linked to rising livestock numbers. According to data from the National Statistical Committee, the country’s total livestock population has grown by 6.6% over the past five years. As of the end of 2025, farms across all categories had approximately 1.8 million cattle, a 1.7% increase compared with the previous year. The number of sheep and goats reached 6.3 million, up 0.8%. Positive trends have also been recorded in horse breeding, poultry farming, pig farming, and yak breeding. Agricultural sector representatives say growing demand for animal feed is influencing crop patterns. Zakir Koombayev, director of a farm in the Chui Region, told The Times of Central Asia that farmers are increasingly diversifying their forage crops. “Previously, we mainly planted spring crops such as wheat and barley. Now, given the growth in livestock numbers, we have ordered feed corn seeds from southern Russia,” he said. Experts note that the future development of livestock farming in Kyrgyzstan will largely depend on effective pasture management and the sustainability of the country’s feed base.

Livestock farming

Kazakhstan Considers Lowering Retirement Age for Shepherds and Herders

Kazakhstan is developing a package of social measures aimed at attracting and retaining personnel in the livestock industry, including a proposal to lower the retirement age for shepherds and herders. The initiative was discussed during a meeting of the Public Council under the Ministry of Agriculture, which reviewed the draft Comprehensive Plan for the Development of Agribusiness in the Livestock Sector for 2026-2030. The plan is designed to increase production, improve productivity, and enhance the sector’s export potential. A key focus of the draft is addressing staffing shortages in rural livestock farming, which the ministry has identified as a systemic challenge. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the proposed support measures include reducing the retirement age for shepherds and herders, providing deferrals from military service, and prioritizing educational grants for their children. Specific retirement age parameters have not yet been disclosed. Currently, men in Kazakhstan retire at 63 and women at 61, with a gradual equalization planned from 2031. At present, certain groups, including mothers of large families, workers in hazardous occupations, military personnel, law enforcement officers, and victims of nuclear testing, are eligible for early retirement. Deputy Minister of Agriculture Amangali Berdalin also announced plans to launch long-term preferential loans at 6% per annum for the purchase of breeding stock for all types of farm animals. Additionally, 5% interest loans are planned to support working capital without sector-specific limitations. These funds can be used for purchasing feed, fuel and lubricants, veterinary drugs, and covering other ongoing production expenses. To reactivate underused pastures, a unified loan product at 6% is being developed to support transhumance livestock farming. All loan programs will be backed by state guarantees. The expansion of social and financial support for livestock farming comes amid rising export performance in the industry. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakh meat producers exported more products in the first ten months of 2025 than in all of 2024.

Meat Market

Kazakhstan Proposes Criminal Penalties for Illegal Meat Sales

Kazakhstan’s Minister of Agriculture, Aidarbek Saparov, has proposed introducing criminal liability for the sale of meat that bypasses veterinary and sanitary inspections. Speaking at a government meeting, Saparov emphasized that Kazakhstan is undertaking large-scale efforts to digitize its livestock industry. Each farm animal now receives an individual identification number, with all veterinary procedures recorded in an electronic system. However, the minister warned that the system’s effectiveness depends on livestock owners maintaining accurate and transparent records. “We must strengthen oversight of livestock registration and tighten accountability, up to criminal liability, for unscrupulous livestock suppliers and buyers of animal products without proper veterinary documentation,” Saparov stated. Illegal Slaughterhouses a Threat to Public Health Saparov cited recent cases of underground slaughterhouses as a significant public health concern. In December 2024, two unlicensed facilities were discovered in Astana, distributing unregulated meat across the country. Similar operations were uncovered in Semey and Shymkent in spring 2025. Currently, criminal penalties in Kazakhstan apply only to cattle theft. Violations of veterinary and sanitary rules, unless they result in serious harm to human health, are punished administratively. Since the beginning of 2025, 64 veterinary checkpoints have inspected 28,500 vehicles transporting meat. Violations were identified in 547 cases, resulting in administrative fines for the owners. Livestock Industry Growth and Export Expansion Saparov also reported robust growth in livestock production. From January to May 2025, output increased by 4.2% compared to the same period in 2024. Meat production (in carcass weight) rose by 3%. Cow’s milk production grew by 7.5%. Almaty and Akmola regions led in meat output, while North Kazakhstan and Pavlodar regions led in milk production. The livestock population also expanded: Cattle: up 23.4 percent to 9.6 million head Small ruminants: up 7.8 percent to 26.3 million head Horses: up 12.2 percent to 5 million head Camels: up 8.5 percent to 321,300 head Poultry: up 2.2 percent to 47.7 million birds “Current production volumes fully meet domestic demand for beef and mutton and allow us to expand exports to up to 50,000 tons annually,” Saparov said. In 2024, Kazakhstan’s beef exports increased by 1.4 times to over 22,000 tons. Mutton exports grew 2.2 times, reaching 18,000 tons. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Turkey expressed interest in importing Kazakh meat, reportedly offering prices nearly double those proposed by China.