September 26, 2011

South Australia to send 2,500 heifers to Kazakhstan

To aid in establishing the country's first Angus beef herd, South Australia over the next year will send 2,500 Angus heifers to Kazakhstan.

Agriculture Minister Michael O'Brien said that by early November 400 cattle would be sent to the Kazakh capital Astana with the rest between May and October next year.

He said that these will be the first Australian cattle imported into Kazakhstan.

The exercise is a joint venture between the state government body, Rural Solutions SA, a local exporter and a major Kazakh agricultural firm.

Mr O'Brien said South Australia was chosen as the preferred supplier because of its disease-free status and the local expertise in beef cattle management.

Rural Solutions international consultant Sean Miller said two staff from the Kazakh company would come to South Australia in October for four weeks of intensive training.

Dr. Miller said that with the whole of the beef value chain available to them in South Australia, Kazakhstan will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience across the entire industry. It will give them a vision of what could be achieved in Kazakhstan in the future and set them on the path to success in the beef industry.