Kazakhstan to begin exporting horse meat to Japan

Japan also want live horses exported for meat

THE ASTANA TIMES reports on 15 Jul. 2020:

Kazakhstan will begin exporting horse meat to Japan, according to the Kazakh Agriculture Ministry’s press service. 

“A huge amount of preparatory work made it possible for Kazakh horse meat to enter a new market. To boost export potential, in 2018, the ministry’s veterinary control and supervision committee sent the first request to foreign colleagues, where it expressed the interest of Kazakh farmers and entrepreneurs to supply horse meat to Japan,” said the ministry in a press statement. 

Japan, one of the world’s biggest horse meat importers, approved the veterinary certificates for meat export and sent the official request in May. 

Thirty-four Kazakh enterprises are ready to supply the horse meat to Japan, said the ministry. The information on the volume of exports and the start date, however, was not specified. 

Japan also expressed interest not only in horse meat but also in the supply of live horses for slaughter in Japan. Its key horse meat supplier was Canada, where the federal government faced a lawsuit launched by animal welfare activists, who sought to end the export of horses for slaughter in Japan. Read full report »

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