Kazakhstan looking to restart meat exports to China by end of year

ASTANA. Nov 2 (Interfax) - Kazakhstan is looking to hold talks with Chinese experts next week on restarting meat exports to China by the end of the year, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade and Integration Serik Zhumangarin said.

"Chinese experts are coming next week for negotiations. If talks go smoothly, then we should restart meat exports to China from four processing plants by the end of the year," Zhumangarin told reporters on Thursday at the residence Kazakhstan's president.

Supplies of Kazakh beef and lamb to China were suspended in 2021 owing to the detection of foot-and-mouth disease in Kazakhstan. In May of this year, the Kazakh Ministry of Agriculture discussed with Sun Yuning, the Deputy Minister of Customs Administration of the People's Republic of China, the issue of resuming the supply of Kazakh meat to China.

The Kazakh agricultural department noted earlier that the World Organization for Animal Health had recognized five zones in Kazakhstan - East Kazakhstan, the Almaty, Turkestan, Kyzylorda, and Zhambyl regions, as well as the Zhetysu and Abay regions - as being free from foot-and-mouth disease with vaccination.