The World Turns to Chicken as Tajikistan’s Poultry Industry Expands

Chicken has become the world’s most consumed meat for the first time, overtaking beef and pork as production continues to accelerate. Global chicken numbers rose from about 48.3 billion in 2006 to 76.2 billion in 2023, with the Asia-Pacific region leading growth, followed by the Americas and Europe. China and the United States together account for about one-third of global demand.

The shift reflects chicken’s relatively low cost and efficient production. It requires less time and fewer resources than cattle, while facing few cultural or religious restrictions. Improvements in industrial poultry farming, feed, breeding and storage have also helped make it accessible across markets and cuisines. Analysts say demand, especially in developing countries, continues to rise.

Tajikistan is part of that expansion. The country produced 26.8 thousand tons of poultry meat in live weight during the first seven months of 2026, 6.5% more than during the same period in 2025. Sogdiana Region accounted for 13.1 thousand tons, followed by the districts of republican subordination with 8.2 thousand tons and Khatlon Region with 5.4 thousand tons.

Collective farms produced 79% of the poultry meat, household farms 19%, and peasant farms 2.2%. As of August 1, Tajikistan had 13.15 million poultry birds, 11.1% more than a year earlier. Sogdiana held almost 7 million birds, while Khatlon had about 2.6 million, despite a 3.9% decline.

Local production is growing, but it still does not fully meet domestic demand, leaving Tajikistan reliant on imports. The number of poultry enterprises is increasing, and the country is expanding both raising capacity and feed production. Prices have remained relatively restrained: chicken rose 0.2% in July, but was 1.1% cheaper than at the start of the year.