Dairy Production in Kazakhstan Exceeds 665 Thousand Tons
In 2026, processing enterprises maintain a positive trend. In January alone, dairy processing plants produced about 54 thousand tons of products.
According to agricultural economist Yerlan Syzdykov fr om the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the industry's growth is largely due to increased investments and government support measures.
"A significant amount of investment is flowing into the dairy sector, primarily thanks to government support measures and preferential loan programs. More than 100 dairy farms have already been established across Kazakhstan," the expert noted.
He stated that the Ministry of Agriculture has prepared a comprehensive five-year plan for the development of the dairy industry, and a long-term development strategy for the sector up to 2040 is being developed in collaboration with the FAO.
Currently, the level of self-sufficiency in the domestic dairy market in Kazakhstan exceeds 95%. Meanwhile, the volume of milk and dairy product exports in 2025 doubled, although its share remains relatively small. The main export destinations are Central Asian countries—Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.
Kazakhstan's Minister of Agriculture Aidarbek Saparov announced that there are 180 enterprises processing milk in the country.
"In 2025, a number of major projects were launched. Additionally, 12 investment projects totaling 41 billion tenge are being implemented, resulting in an additional 165 thousand tons of processing capacity," the head of the ministry noted.
According to the Bureau of National Statistics, the average price of milk in Kazakhstan is 600–660 tenge per liter. In some regions, the cost is significantly higher: in Kyzylorda, Atyrau, and Aktau, the price reaches about 850 tenge per liter. The cheapest milk is recorded in Uralsk, wh ere a liter costs about 437 tenge.
The Ministry of Agriculture also reported that milk is classified as a socially significant food product. Since the beginning of the year, the price growth index for this category has been 0.6%, and the authorities intend to prevent a sharp increase in product prices.
Meanwhile, industry experts point to several structural factors holding back the development of the dairy sector. Among them are the high share of raw material production in private household farms, the remoteness of farms from processing enterprises, and significant logistics costs. According to industry associations, 60–70% of milk is produced in private households, which affects the stability of raw material quality for processing.
