Uzbekistan has imported 3,000 head of purebred Holstein cattle from China so far this year as part of a broader push to modernize its dairy industry, the Food Safety Committee said.
The imports are being carried out under contracts signed by 80 Uzbek companies with Chinese suppliers, with agreements now in place to bring Chinese Holstein dairy cattle into every region of the country. Committee officials said the purebred animals are intended to be raised and bred domestically, helping build up a higher-yielding national dairy herd rather than being imported for slaughter or short-term use.
The cattle are being sourced exclusively from two regions in China that have been certified as free of disease and safe for export, the committee said. The Chinese Holstein is recognized as a specialized dairy breed in China's National Livestock Genetic Resources database, prized for its milk output.
The cattle imports form part of a wider set of government incentives designed to encourage investment in purebred livestock. Companies that import breeding animals are exempt from value-added tax through 2029, while a separate subsidy program covering imported purebred cattle, sheep and goats has been extended through Dec. 31, 2030. Beginning July 1, 2026, the government will also begin paying subsidies for every purebred calf born to registered cows on household farms, a measure aimed at encouraging small-scale farmers to expand their herds using improved genetics.
Together, officials say, the tax breaks, subsidies and import deals are intended to raise both the quality and volume of Uzbekistan's domestic milk production in the coming years.
Stay up to date with all the latest news:
