Kazakhstan Remains Dependent on Dairy Imports in Key Categories

Import-Dependent Dairy Categories:

• Cheese and curd: Imports account for 48.0% of the market.

• Yogurt, kefir, and fermented products: 18.2% import share.

• Drinking milk and cream: 6.6% import share.

• Butter and dehydrated milk fat: Around 15% (based on international trade data).

• Ice cream and dairy desserts: 15.6% import share.

High Levels of Self-Sufficiency:

At the same time, Kazakhstan demonstrates strong self-reliance in several dairy categories:

• Processed milk and cream: 93.4% produced domestically.

• Eggs and vegetable oils: Over 90% self-sufficiency.

• Ready-to-eat dairy products (excluding fresh milk): 87.8% local production.

This indicates that basic dairy items such as milk, cream, and yogurt are largely covered by domestic production. However, value-added and highly processed products — including cheese, ice cream, desserts, and functional dairy goods — remain heavily import-dependent.

Investments in the Food Industry

From January to May 2025, investments in fixed capital for Kazakhstan’s food production sector totaled 71.6 billion tenge, representing a 57.7% increase compared to the same period in 2024. Adjusted for inflation, real growth was 53.7%.

Top investor regions:

• North Kazakhstan Region: ₸17.9 billion (including dairy processing projects)

• Almaty Region: ₸13.6 billion

• Turkistan Region: ₸12.8 billion
  These three regions together accounted for 62% of total national investment.

Lowest investment:
Mangystau Region saw the smallest capital inflow, totaling ₸124.8 million, down 19.5% from 2024.