Azerbaijan, Baku, August 2 / Trend S. Suleymanov /
Kazakhstan ranks third on horse-flesh production, Research and Innovation Centre for livestock representative Gennadi Sizonov said at an international forum in Astana.
"World production of horse-flesh is 1,035 tons. Mexico ranks first with a production volume of 143,000 tons, the second - China (126,000 tons), and the third - Kazakhstan (114,000 tons)," Sizonov said.
He said that the world consumption of horse-flesh per capita is at the same level with mutton.
"At the present time, there are more than 1.5 million horses in Kazakhstan. The annual growth ranges from 4 to 8 percent. We will reach 2 million heads in 3-4 years. We believe that horse-flesh will take its place as a matter of export on its incomparable taste and nutritional qualities", Sizonov said.
But he believes that the prerequisite for the existence of the industry in Kazakhstan and the preservation of species is to conduct a system of breeding activities. The most important is the maintenance of centralized breeding records not to lose our national wealth - domestic breeds of horses.