Kazakhstan may begin supplying horse meat to Japan later this year, according to Zhanibek Kenzhebayev, chairman of the Turan Livestock Association and owner of a farm with 3,000 horses.
«We plan to begin supplying horse meat to Japan, possibly in May or June 2026, if direct flights are available,» Kenzhebayev told Kursiv.media. «They have foreign currency, so the price is attractive. I think it will be at least $15 per kilogram.»
Air shipments seen as most likely option
Kenzhebayev said the most likely export route would involve shipping freshly chilled Kazakh horse meat to Japan by air.
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The expert previously noted that Kazakh lamb is already being exported at prices ranging from $10 to $15 per kilogram. Expanding into new export markets could increase interest in horse breeding, particularly as beef prices in Kazakhstan have risen significantly faster than horse meat prices in recent months.
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Uzbekistan remains the largest importer of Kazakh meat. In 2025, the country imported 66,100 tons of fresh, frozen and chilled meat and meat byproducts from Kazakhstan, valued at $189.9 million.
Compared with 2024, meat exports to Uzbekistan increased 1.8 times by volume and 1.5 times by value.
The average price paid by Uzbek importers for Kazakh meat was $2.90 per kilogram in 2025, down from $3.30 per kilogram in 2024.
