North Kazakhstan region has received its first shipment of pedigree cattle from Australia, with 305 Aberdeen Angus animals arriving via a special cargo flight through Astana International Airport, Qazinform News Agency reports. The imports are being carried out under Kazakhstan's 2026-2030 Comprehensive Livestock Development Plan, which aims to strengthen the national breeding base, improve herd genetics, boost domestic breeding capacity, and increase output of competitive livestock products.
The plan envisions the purchase of 50,000 head of breeding livestock, including 40,000 head of cattle and 10,000 head of small ruminants. Kazakhstan has already imported approximately 9,500 head of cattle. Those participating in the herd renewal program are Shal Akyn AGRO-2020 LLP and Asyl Farms LLP.
According to Gabiden Balginbekov, director of Asyl Farms, the company selected the Aberdeen Angus breed because of its strong fattening performance and high-quality meat. "The import of Australian livestock will allow us to establish our own highly productive herd and further develop pedigree breeding directly in the North Kazakhstan Region," he said.
The region has compiled a portfolio of 23 projects for the purchase of pedigree livestock with a total value of 15 billion tenge. Since the beginning of the year, the region has imported more than 3,000 head of breeding livestock from Germany and Denmark. By the end of the year, another 10 cargo flights carrying pedigree livestock from Australia are expected to arrive.
The total number of imported animals in the region is projected to reach around 11,000 head of cattle and more than 1,500 head of small ruminants. At the same time, the North Kazakhstan region is expanding infrastructure required for the livestock industry development.
The region currently operates 118 dairy farms, including 50 modern facilities. 57 veterinary stations are under construction, with total funding of 1.5 billion tenge. Earlier, Qazinform reported that Kazakhstan exports wheat to 29 countries, with shipments worth 1.6 billion US dollars.