Mongolia exported a total of 28,123 tons of meat and meat products in the first eight months of 2018, of which 12,315 tons were heat-treated products, customs data showed Thursday.

The figure is up 2.4 times from the same period last year, according to the Mongolian Customs General Administration.

Almost 50 percent of the total exported meat in the January-August of 2018 was horse meat.

Mongolia currently exports meat and meat products to China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Japan, Iran and Qatar. At present, the country is negotiating with Kuwait and Uzbekistan for export to those markets, according to the Mongolian Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry.

The Asian country, one of the last nomadic countries in the world, has more than 66.2 million livestock animals, and its animal husbandry is one of the leading sectors of the landlocked country's economy.

The country aims to raise meat exports tenfold in the coming years.

There are more than 30 meat processing enterprises in the country with special licenses to export meat and meat products.