A delegation of 17 cattle specialists from Kazakhstan will tour North Dakota August 19-25 to meet with regional ranchers and livestock experts for training on animal health, breeding and general animal husbandry. This initiative is organized by the North Dakota Trade Office (NDTO) and the Khan-Tengri consulting company in Astana, Kazakhstan. The training session is part of an ongoing livestock initiative between North Dakota and Kazakhstan, as a total of $25 million worth of live cattle have been exported from North Dakota to Kazakhstan since 2010.
“North Dakota has benefited tremendously from an agreement to help Kazakhstan rebuild its livestock industry,” said Lt. Gov. Wrigley, chairman of the NDTO Board of Directors. “Our cattle exporters understand that in order to make the export of live cattle successful, the business relationship must also include ongoing training and support for Kazakh cattle buyers. The livestock industry in this state has truly come together to help make the North Dakota-Kazakhstan livestock initiative successful for North Dakota.”
North Dakota purebred cattle made international news in October 2010, when a 747 jet filled with 160 live Angus and Herefords, the first shipment of a $50 million deal between North Dakota and Kazakhstan to provide livestock over 10 years, flew from Fargo to Astana. Livestock-filled jets still leave from Fargo’s Hector International Airport bound for Kazakhstan, and Kazakh ranchers make yearly visits to North Dakota for continued training.
Kazakhstan’s cattle herds dropped from 35 million before the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 to 2 million, due in part to falling consumer income and complications with the agricultural privatization process. In 2010, the public-private organization KazAgro developed a Beef Development Plan for the country of Kazakhstan and turned to North Dakota, among other regions, to rebuild the livestock industry.
“The very first Angus cattle to be raised in Kazakhstan were imported from North Dakota in 2010,” said Nurlan Zharmukhanov, director of the Khan-Tengri innovative cattle production development consulting center in Astana, Kazakhstan. “Before turning to North Dakota to purchase cattle, our group visited ranches all across the world, and we came to the conclusion that the livestock and technology used in North Dakota was most suitable for our country. We are here to learn about technology and choose additional cattle. Our delegates will not only purchase cattle now, but they will also share their experiences with other livestock owners in Kazakhstan.”
North Dakota companies and organizations participating in this initiative include:
- Black Leg Ranch – McKenzie, ND
- Brooks Angus Rand – Bowman, ND
- Carrington Research Extension Center
- Lee Angus and Njos Ranch – Rhame, ND
- Logging Camp Ranch – Amidon, ND
- Kinnischke Ranch – Hebron, ND
- Missouri Valley Vet – Bismarck, ND
- NDSU Beef Research Center – Fargo, ND
- North Dakota Beef Commission
- North Dakota Stockman’s Association
- Paulson Premium Seed – Bowman, ND
In additional to livestock-related meetings, the delegation will be hosted at the North Dakota State Capitol on August 21 at 11:00am, where they will meet with Lt. Gov. Drew Wrigley and North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring. Both Lt. Gov. Wrigley and Agriculture Commissioner Goehring have visited livestock operations in Kazakhstan.