Kazakhstan’s Dairy Output Rises as Cheese and Ice Cream Lead Growth

Kazakhstan's dairy sector experienced a significant expansion in the first half of 2026, with overall manufacturing output rising by 11.9%. This growth was primarily fueled by a surge in the production of cheese, butter, and ice cream, while the output of processed liquid milk remained relatively stable.

The total value of manufactured dairy products reached 414.9 billion tenge (approximately US$887.4 million). Cheese and curd production saw a substantial increase of 26.2% year-on-year, reaching 30,661 tons, with hard cheese output alone jumping by 56.7%. Butter and milk-spread production rose by 27% to 24,376 tons, and ice cream output experienced a remarkable surge of 64.7%, totaling 55,199 tons in the January-June period.

In contrast, production of processed liquid milk and cream saw only a modest increase of 0.4%, reaching 331,342 tons. Yogurt and other fermented milk products grew by 3.2% to 134,168 tons. Traditional fermented products showed mixed results, with Kymyz (mare milk) production up 36.9% to 774 tons, while shubat (camel milk) production fell by 42% to 509 tons.

This expansion follows a trend observed in 2025, when dairy production also saw considerable growth. Geographically, the dairy manufacturing remains concentrated in the Almaty, North Kazakhstan, and Kostanai regions, which together accounted for about 45.6% of the total output value in 2025.

Despite the robust domestic growth, Kazakhstan continues to depend on dairy imports. In the first five months of 2026, imports of cheese and curd were significantly higher than exports. However, the country has emerged as a net exporter of ice cream, with exports exceeding imports for the first time in 2025, driven by record domestic production and export levels.