Azernews.Az

By Abdul Kerimkhanov

Kazakhstan has firmly taken the first place in the Central Asian region in terms of the intensity of its relations with Israel, the volume of cooperation activities and their diversification.

Livestock has always been considered one of the main directions in the agricultural sector of Kazakhstan, being an integral element of the food security of the state, providing employment and income generation.

Kazakhstan has enormous opportunities for the development of livestock. This is primarily due to the country's natural competitive advantages, such as favorable natural and climatic conditions, the presence of pastures and the proximity of markets.

Kazakhstan is negotiating the terms of export of livestock products to Israel, Malaysia and South Korea, said Prime Minister Askar Mamin.

He recalled that the government is faced with the task of increasing exports of processed agricultural products by at least 2.5 times, Kapital.kz reports.

“It is necessary to ensure compliance with the veterinary and phytosanitary safety requirements. In 2017, all regions of Kazakhstan received status free from foot and mouth disease. The conditions and restrictions on the export of livestock products to Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have been agreed,” Mamin said.

Kazakhstan should become a reliable supplier of high-quality and environmentally friendly products, the head of government said.

“In this regard, I instruct the Ministry of Agriculture, together with akims, to ensure a stable epizootic situation, to take over special control over the accounting and movement of animals, the conditions of storage and acquisition of veterinary drugs, as well as timely vaccination. Take organizational measures for the timely treatment of cultivated areas from pests,” said Askar Mamin.

He added that in March 2019, the Kazakh phytosanitary service inspected 30 flour mills, which were recommended for inclusion in the register of wheat flour exporters in China.

"We should continue to work on reducing veterinary and phytosanitary barriers and expanding markets," he concluded.

In 2011, Kazakhstan adopted the project “Development of the export potential of cattle meat”. In accordance with this document, the country had to make a breakthrough in the export of meat, and by 2020 to reach the level that Kazakhstan had at the time of independence - 180,000 tons per year.

The implementation of this project will make beef cattle the leading branch of agriculture. The task is to get away from importing meat and become one of its major suppliers to foreign markets.

Diplomatic relations between Israel and Kazakhstan were established on April 10, 1992.

Israel exported mainly technological equipment and chemicals to Kazakhstan and imported mainly minerals and metals from the Central Asian country.

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Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94

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