Kyrgyzstan's Beef Exports Plummet Sevenfold Amid Rising Imports

Kyrgyzstan's meat trade has shown a significant imbalance in the first five months of 2026, with a dramatic drop in beef exports contrasting sharply with rising imports of poultry and pork.

Domestic exports of fresh and chilled beef saw a steep decline of 85.9% in value, amounting to just $365,600 (65.4 tons). Russia was the only country importing Kyrgyz beef. Frozen beef exports also experienced a downturn, decreasing by 23.3% to $80,300 (20 tons), with Belarus as the sole destination. In contrast, exports of poultry meat grew by 59.5% to $377,000 (267.7 tons), with Kazakhstan and Russia being the main recipients.

On the import side, poultry meat remains the largest category, with 35,904.9 tons imported for $39.4 million, a 9.7% increase in value compared to the same period last year. China, Russia, and Ukraine are the primary suppliers of poultry. Pork imports saw a substantial rise of 68% in value, exceeding $1 million for 426.8 tons, mainly from Kazakhstan and Russia. Fresh beef imports, primarily from Belarus, increased threefold to $347,400, while frozen beef imports halved to $689,500, with India as the main seller.