Uzbekistan has become the largest importer of live cattle and sheep from Russia. In the first half of 2025, the export of live animals from Russia increased by 1.5 times, which indicates growing attention to the agricultural sector and rising demand in foreign markets.
According to the AgroExport portal of the Ministry of Agriculture, in January-June 2025, Russia exported live animals worth more than $73 million. This is a 54% increase compared to the same period last year.
The largest buyer of livestock is Uzbekistan, which accounts for 33% of the total export. Azerbaijan ranks second with 24%, and Kazakhstan is in third place with 14%.
In addition, Russia exported $5 million worth of live sheep. The main buyers of sheep are Azerbaijan (39%), Lebanon (23%), and Uzbekistan (22%).
The export of live pigs and poultry has also increased. These goods are primarily supplied to Armenia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan.
Research in the agricultural sector shows that some countries prefer to buy livestock for commercial purposes. This is due to several factors, especially the availability of cheap labor and specific slaughter and processing methods. For example, Iran buys live small animals from Russia because they prefer to consume chilled meat and want to control the slaughter process according to "halal" standards.
This situation highlights the significance of increasing the import of live animals into Uzbekistan and its contribution to the country's agricultural sector.
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