September 10, 2009
Kyrgyzstan resumes meat exports to Russia and Kazakhstan
Lifting the official embargo for Kyrgyzstan meat exports to Russia and Kazakhstan is likely to trigger domestic price rises, according to media reports on Monday (Sep 7).
Earlier in September, Omurbek Babanov, the first Kyrgyz vice-premier, told the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and State Veterinary Department to solve the issue of meat export by September 20.
The export of Kyrgyzstan meat to Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan has been restricted since 2006, after several cases of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) were registered in the country.
Some time later, Kazakhstan lifted the ban, but soon imposed it again due to dangerous epizootic situation in Kyrgyzstan.
Not a single case of FMD has been traced in Kyrgyzstan for the past 25 months.
Kyrgyzstan accounts up to five million species of small cattle, about 1.5 million species of cattle stock and about 40,000 species of pigs. The country produces up to 27,600 tonnes of meat a month, whereof 200 tonnes may be exported to Kazakhstan.
