Kazakhstan is expanding its domestic dairy base. The country has financed 97 projects to build and modernize dairy farms. Once operating at full capacity, these facilities are expected to produce around 559,600 tons of milk annually.
Beeld: Cow (Kazakhstan, Akmolinskaya oblast)
Cow
At the same time, Kazakhstan is upgrading its breeding stock. Since the beginning of 2026, farms have purchased more than 30,000 head of pedigree cattle, including over 3,500 animals imported from abroad.
New farms and modern technologies
One of the projects is being implemented in the Kostanay Region. DK Maksat KZ is investing 3.2 billion tenge in a dairy farm designed for 400 milking cows.
The complex will be equipped with automated milking systems and Afimilk digital technology to monitor the health and productivity of the herd. A new batch of Holstein heifers arrived from Germany on August 21. After the required procedures, the animals will be placed in quarantine.
The company plans to complete the formation of the herd and reach the farm's full capacity by the end of 2026.
Kostanay region strengthens its dairy cluster
Beeld: © LVVN Astana / Cows Kazakhstan
cows
The region plans to implement 13 projects worth 39.2 billion tenge between 2023 and 2026. Seven facilities have already been commissioned, with a combined capacity of around 46,000 tons of milk per year.
Nationwide, 71 of the 97 projects are already operational, while another 26 are still under development. The new facilities are expected to increase the supply of domestically produced raw milk.
Why Kazakhstan imports pedigree cattle
The main goal of these purchases is not simply to increase the number of cows, but to improve their productivity.
High-yielding breeds, combined with automated milking, digital herd monitoring and modern feed systems, make it possible to produce more milk per animal. This directly affects production costs and the overall economics of a dairy farm.
That is why imports of pedigree cattle are taking place alongside the construction of new dairy complexes. Kazakhstan is effectively pursuing two goals at once: expanding production capacity and improving the quality of its dairy herd.
Ultimately, the success of the program will be measured not by the number of farms built, but by the actual volume of milk produced and the ability of new farms to replace part of the country's imported dairy products.