Kazakhstan plans to fully meet domestic demand for poultry meat through increased local production, with the goal of eliminating imports, Vice Minister of Agriculture Azat Sultanov said at a Government's meeting, Qazinform News Agency reports. According to him, Kazakhstan already meets domestic demand for most major food products, with self-sufficiency exceeding 80% across the majority of staple food categories.
He added that the Government is working to raise self-sufficiency above 80% for poultry meat, fish, sugar, cheese and cottage cheese, processed meat products, and apples by expanding domestic production and reducing reliance on imports. "To strengthen the raw material base of the dairy industry, a preferential lending program is supporting the construction of dairy farms.
Financing has been provided for 95 farms with a combined annual capacity of more than 500,000 tons of milk, 71 of which are already operational. Another 19 farms, with a total capacity of around 100,000 tons per year, are scheduled to begin operations by the end of this year," Sultanov said.
Sultanov also highlighted the steady growth of Kazakhstan's poultry industry, noting that over the past five years production has increased by 58%, imports have fallen by 25%, and the share of domestically produced poultry in the local market has risen from 58% to 78%.
"This growth has been driven by the expansion of existing facilities and the launch of new production capacity. We are continuing this work with several major projects, including those of Aitas in Almaty region and Alel Agro in Zhambyl region. Once completed, these projects will significantly increase output and allow Kazakhstan to fully meet domestic demand for locally produced poultry meat," the vice minister said.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Kazakhstan's grain and flour exports had reached nearly 14 million tons.