Baku, Azerbaijan, August 14
By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend:
Kazakhstan is strengthening its commitment to improving the safety of raw milk and dairy products with the signing of a roadmap that will bring the national dairy industry to the level of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) standards, Trend reports with reference to the press office of European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
The roadmap, which has been signed in the country’s capital Nur-Sultan on August 14, aims to provide transparent and comprehensive monitoring of animal health. It includes measures such as testing raw milk, for example, at the receiving laboratories in factories. This testing will determine the current degree of compliance with the safety standards and evaluate the readiness of national laboratories to conduct the necessary tests. The roadmap also promotes inclusiveness by sharing knowledge and best practices.
The document is the initiative of the Dairy Union of Kazakhstan, supported by EBRD and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The roadmap was signed by the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Health, and the Committee for Technical Regulation and Metrology of the Ministry of Trade and Integration.
The development of the livestock sector is supported by the government of Kazakhstan with a national program aimed at fostering the country’s dairy industry growth and overcoming remaining bottlenecks.
EBRD and FAO will continue working with Kazakhstan’s livestock industry to align national safety standards with those of the EAEU, EU and China, in order to create export opportunities for Kazakh producers.
The cooperation will cover a wide range of activities including study tours for Kazakhstan dairy industry representatives, know-how transfer, capacity-building and many others.
The EBRD has invested 8.2 billion euro through 262 projects in Kazakhstan. Of this total, 798 million euro has been invested through 56 projects in the agribusiness sector.
The FAO Liaison and Partnership Bureau in the Republic of Kazakhstan are implementing eight national and regional projects in Kazakhstan for a total of $3.1 million in various areas.
The Dairy Union of Kazakhstan is the national voice of the milk-processing sector, representing the public-policy and regulatory interests of Kazakhstan’s dairy processors. Its members represent some of the most recognized brands in the country and provide for some 70 percent of the retail market.
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