Deputy Minister of Agriculture Zhanibek Kerimaliev, in response to a question about the livestock population, reported that there are more than 2 million heads of cattle in the country, among which about 800 thousand are cows.
Primov added that with such a number of livestock, it is necessary to allocate certain niches for farmers so that they can adapt their businesses and increase production efficiency.
In turn, Kerimaliev spoke about the existing state support measures for farmers. He reported that under the preferential lending program, loans are available for 6 months at an annual interest rate of 3%: without collateral — up to 500 thousand soms, and with collateral — above this amount. For dairy processing enterprises, loans range from 500 thousand to 20 million soms, while farmers can receive from 500 thousand to 5 million soms.
The deputy also noted that the measures being taken should lead to practical results and inquired about the markets for the produced milk. The deputy minister reported that in recent years there has been an increase in productivity: if earlier the average yield was 1.7–1.8 thousand liters per year per cow, it has now reached 2.45–2.5 thousand liters. Moreover, purebred cows can produce up to 6–7 thousand liters per year.
In conclusion of the meeting, Ulan Primov emphasized that the Ministries of Economy and Agriculture should work together on the development of the dairy industry and increasing the export potential of the country.
