Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Mongolia has started supplying live sheep to Uzbekistan, local media reported on Wednesday, citing data from Mongolia’s Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Light Industry, as per Xinhua News Agency.

This development follows agreements reached during the state visit of Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh to Uzbekistan in June 2024.

During the visit, the presidents of Mongolia and Uzbekistan agreed to expand cooperation in various areas, including trade in agricultural products such as wool, cashmere, leather, meat, and meat products from Mongolia to Uzbekistan and other Central Asian markets through Uzbekistan.

According to the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Light Industry of Mongolia, the cooperation agreement between the agricultural ministries of the two countries has now come into effect. Under this agreement, Mongolia has committed to exporting a total of 100,000 heads of livestock to Uzbekistan. "As part of this initiative, beginning December 21 of this year, Mongolia transported 1,440 live sheep to Uzbekistan via two flights," the ministry reported.

Currently, agriculture accounts for over 10% of Mongolia’s GDP.

As per Mongolia’s National Statistics Committee, by the end of 2023, the country had a total livestock population of 64.7 million, of which sheep constituted 45.5% of the total.