Kyrgyzstan has seen a remarkable surge in its dairy product exports, with Kazakhstan emerging as a major buyer, despite a temporary ban imposed by Russia’s Rosselkhoznadzor. The ban, which lasted from April 21 to June, prompted Kyrgyzstan to explore new markets for its dairy products.
Kyrgyzstan’s Minister of Agriculture, Askarbek Dzhanybekov, highlighted that the ban by Rosselkhoznadzor played a somewhat positive role, as it prompted an increase in the volume of dairy product exports to Kazakhstan. The country saw a substantial growth in its dairy exports from 34.6 thousand tons at the end of 2022 to over 40 thousand tons in the first eight months of 2023. Kazakhstan accounted for more than 80% of these export supplies.
Furthermore, Kyrgyzstan has successfully expanded its dairy exports to Uzbekistan, with over 2 thousand tons of products exported to the neighboring country. More than 10 Kyrgyz companies have been recognized as official exporters of dairy products to Uzbekistan.
The ban imposed by Rosselkhoznadzor in April 2023 cited several reasons, including the absence of required laboratory research indicators as per Russian and Eurasian Economic Union legislation and a lack of a traceability system at Kyrgyz enterprises. These limitations prevented the tracking of raw material origins and led to concerns about the quality and labeling of dairy products.
However, by June 21, Rosselkhoznadzor had lifted restrictions on four Kyrgyz dairy enterprises, paving the way for renewed trade relations in the dairy sector.
