Kazakhstan Eases Beef Export Quotas, Extends Egg Import Ban

The Interdepartmental Commission on Foreign Trade and Participation in International Economic Organizations has adopted a series of measures concerning beef exports, egg imports, and the preservation of breeding livestock.

In a move to support domestic producers, the commission has simplified the conditions for obtaining export quotas for beef. Previously, companies were required to have a feedlot with a capacity of at least 5,000 head and their own meat processing plant. This decision aligns with the Comprehensive Plan for Livestock Development, which aims to increase the national cattle population from 7.9 to 12 million head and expand Kazakhstan's beef export potential. The Ministry of Agriculture will introduce corresponding amendments to the quota distribution rules.

However, to ensure the preservation of breeding stock and supply raw materials for local processing plants, the ban on exporting breeding animals of large and small ruminants, as well as young male cattle (bullocks), has been extended. This restriction applies even to trade with other Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) member states.

Separately, the Ministry of Agriculture will impose a six-month ban on imports of chicken eggs, also including supplies from EAEU countries. Kazakhstan's domestic market is served by 70 poultry farms: 34 focused on egg production, 29 on meat production, and 7 on breeding stock reproduction. In 2025, domestic egg production increased by 2.4 percent to reach 4.5685 billion units, satisfying approximately 98 percent of internal demand.

This new measure follows previous restrictions; an initial six-month import ban was introduced in April 2025 and subsequently extended for one month in December of that year.

In related news concerning agricultural exports, the commission decided against imposing temporary restrictions on potato exports. The decision was based on stabilized domestic prices and sufficient national reserves.