Kazakhstan signs $75mln worth meat export contracts with China
Kazakhstan’s Minister of Agriculture Aidarbek Saparbayev held a meeting with the top managers of CITIC Construction and Beijing Capital Agro for discussing meat exports issues, Kazinform News Agency reports.
Those attending the meeting were also the representatives of local companies – LLP Meat Processing and Service, Elimai Kokpekti, Astana Agroproduct, Agro Silk Way, Zhake Peasant Farm, and Kazakhstan Meat Union.
The Kazakh minister underlined the importance of the Kazakh-Chinese partnership in agriculture.
“China has been one our major trade partner in agriculture. In 2023, agricultural commodity turnover between Kazakhstan and China made $1.3 billion, which is 67% more against 2022. The volume of agricultural exports to China rose twofold and reached $1 billion,” Aidarbek Saparov said.
In his words, Kazakhstan’s exports to China include cereals and oil crops, vegetable edible oils.
“However, we see enormous potential for increasing volumes of exports through livestock products,” he noted, highlighting that Kazakhstan creates conditions for effective use and development of export potential, manufacture of ecologically safe products and feed production.
This year, in line with the President’s instruction, the ministry stepped up the work on diversification of crop lands, with forage crop lands enlarged by 314 hectares.
In February 2024, the government of China lifted restrictions on the export of meat products from Kazakhstan’s southeastern regions, which enabled to resume beef exports to China in June. Three new contracts worth $75 million are expected to the signed.
Chinese companies expressed interest in a long-term collaboration with Kazakhstan in purchase of beef and cattle.
For instance, Beijing Capital Agro intends to invest over $600 million in beef cattle production till 2030. The project will let set up new feeding platforms, more than 600 peasant farms. More than 3,500 people are expected to be employed within the project’s implementation.
At the end of the meeting, Meat Processing and Service company LLP, Agro silk Way and Astana Agroproduct entered into three contracts with China on meat exports and live cattle delivery.
