LIVESTOCK IN KAZAKHSTAN: DEVELOPMENT PROBLEMS

Abstract

The research was carried out in order to highlight the main problems that impede the increase in the competitiveness of Kazakhstani animal husbandry. The indicators of productivity (milk yield, shearing of wool from one sheep, etc.), as well as aggregated data (production volumes, indices of the physical volume of gross production) were used as criteria for assessing the development of the industry. In Kazakhstan, the share of beef pedigree cattle in 2019 accounted for only 11.5% of the total cattle population. The average live weight of cattle was 336 kg, the average slaughter weight was 175 kg, which is 2 times lower than world standards, the average live weight of 1 bird was 2.2 kg. The republic has a weak base for the production of basic feed for the fattening contingent, due to which its supply with such feed is at the level of 57.8% of the scientifically grounded norm. The share of breeding stock of dairy cattle (as of January 1, 2018) is 2.8%, birds of all types - 12.3% of the total livestock, sheep - 14.8%. In modern conditions, in order to increase competitiveness, it is necessary to focus efforts on solving such problems as providing highly productive breeding cattle and poultry; improving the fodder base by expanding the crops of corn, soybeans, alfalfa, chickpea; strengthening of preventive work against especially dangerous animal diseases; adaptation of scientific developments in the field of genetics, selection and fodder production to the current economic conditions in animal husbandry; accelerating the transfer of animal husbandry to new technologies; implementation of international standards for product quality and management