Tajikistan has imported 60 head of pedigree Holstein cattle from Russia’s Kursk region — the second shipment this year. In August, an agricultural enterprise from the Zheleznogorsk district had already delivered 371 animals to the country, according to kurskcity.ru.
The exports from Russia support the expansion of the region’s foreign trade ties and demonstrate that Kursk livestock products meet international standards, the report said.
Last year, Tajikistan imported 1,096 pedigree animals from Belarus worth $1.39 million, 440 from Russia worth $119,000, and 130 from Kazakhstan worth $41,000. Since October 2024, the Kaliningrad-based company DolgovGroup has been sending one to two truckloads of pedigree cattle to Tajikistan every month and has already announced plans to expand supplies.
According to Trading Economics data based on UN Comtrade, livestock imports to Tajikistan have grown significantly in recent years. In 2023, imports totaled $7.27 million (up from $6.84 million in 2022), and in 2024 nearly doubled to $14.1 million, with most of the increase driven by cattle imports.
Modernizing the livestock sector
Tajikistan is actively modernizing its livestock industry. The government has adopted a Comprehensive Program for the Development of the Livestock Sector for 2023–2027, aimed at boosting meat and milk production, expanding the pedigree base, and developing artificial insemination centers.
In parallel, a Pasture Development Program for 2023–2027 is underway, focused on restoring degraded grazing lands, watering points, and herding routes.
Reasons behind the growth in imports
Experts attribute the increase in livestock imports to several factors. After the pandemic, farmers began actively purchasing pedigree and meat cattle to restore herds and improve productivity. Over 90% of meat and milk in Tajikistan is produced in small private farms that traditionally raise local breeds with lower milk yields and weight gain compared to imported stock.
As a result, interest in foreign pedigree breeds such as Holstein, Simmental, Limousin, Charolais, and Aberdeen Angus has grown. The latter are particularly used for industrial crossbreeding with local cattle to improve genetic quality.
According to the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan, as of August 1, 2025, the total number of cattle across all categories of farms exceeded 2.8 million head, up by 3% year-on-year.
Officials note that livestock imports are helping renew the country’s genetic pool and expand its herds — a trend that is expected to further increase domestic meat and milk production.
