Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations is nearing completion of the process to include canned saiga meat in the state emergency reserve. Saiga stew would be used alongside beef.
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Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defense and the National Security Committee are considering adding saiga meat to the diets and rations of military personnel.
The Ministry of Emergency Situations told Kursiv.media that saiga meat is not currently included in dietary standards for military personnel and cadets. To address this, government agencies are preparing regulatory amendments. Specifically, the Ministry of Defense, together with the Kazakh Academy of Nutrition, is working to add saiga meat to the diet of the armed forces.
The National Security Committee also confirmed that it is prepared to revise its dietary standards to include canned saiga meat in personnel rations. However, when the editorial staff pressed the agency directly, its earlier response was that it had no record of that information.
Nutritional value and safety requirements
The Kazakh Research Institute of Processing and Food Industry said saiga meat is comparable to beef in nutritional and biological value and is rich in protein.
«Canned saiga meat can be used as food, including in military rations, subject to compliance with legal requirements and confirmation of product safety,» the institute said.
Despite the near-completion of the regulatory framework, actual procurement has not yet begun. The Ministry of Emergency Situations said no contracts have been signed with domestic meat-processing plants to supply canned saiga meat.
As a result, the purchase price and specific supply volumes remain unknown. They will be determined after interagency approvals and state procurement procedures are completed.
Government seeks to address saiga overpopulation
Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov previously announced that the government was considering adding saiga meat to state reserves and the rations of employees of the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Ministry of Emergency Situations. He said the proposal was intended to reduce the negative impact of growing saiga populations on agriculture and address an oversupply of meat on the market.
Deputy Agriculture Minister Azat Sultanov previously said saiga meat had lost popularity among Kazakhstanis, while processing plants were facing excess inventories.
According to the Ministry of Ecology, more than 3,900 tons of saiga carcasses were delivered to meat-processing plants in 2025 during the population-control program. Twenty-seven slaughterhouses, with a combined capacity of nearly 5,900 animals per day, participated in the procurement.
Since the beginning of 2026, saiga meat has been sold at market prices through slaughterhouses and retail outlets in 13 regions, including Astana and Almaty.
Ministry of Internal Affairs remains cautious
The Ministry of Internal Affairs told Kursiv.media that it is not yet prepared to serve wild game meat to its employees. However, the ministry has not ruled out the possibility of adding saiga meat to the menu in the future, provided all veterinary and sanitary requirements are strictly met.
