From June 7, 2024, Türkiye has officially lifted its ban on importing livestock and poultry products from Kazakhstan.
According to the Committee for Veterinary Control and Supervision, in March 2024, the Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan Aidarbek Saparov raised the issue of barriers during the Meeting of the Ministers of Agriculture of the Organization of Turkic States in Taraz.
"Kazakhstan expresses its readiness to supply high-quality meat products to the markets of Turkey, Turkmenistan and Hungary. Unfortunately, today the Turkish market is practically closed to Kazakh suppliers through veterinary services. I would like to note that since this year, such restrictions against Kazakhstan have been lifted by the PRC and the Russian Federation. In this regard, we consider it possible to return to the consideration of this issue with the Turkish side," Aidarbek Saparov said.
The final decision was made as a result of bilateral negotiations held on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan by the Vice Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan A. Berdalin with the Vice Minister of Agriculture of Turkey A. Gumen within the framework of the 91st session of the World Organisation for Animal Health in May this year.
The Turkish side, having analyzed the reports provided by Kazakhstan to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), highly appreciated the efforts and measures taken by our country to combat and eliminate these diseases.
This decision opens up new prospects for Kazakhstan's agribusiness and opportunities to harmonize veterinary requirements for livestock products, which will be a significant step in strengthening trade relations between the countries.
The next step in this process involves coordinating veterinary requirements. Aidarbek Saparov, the Minister of Agriculture of Kazakhstan, intends to address these issues during his planned visit to Türkiye in August of this year.
While this development marks a significant breakthrough, it's important to note that restrictions on sheep and goat pox still remain for certain regions of Kazakhstan. However, the Veterinary Service of the Ministry of Agriculture has assured that efforts are underway to remove these barriers.