The Astrakhan region in Russia is planning to brand its lamb meat under the name 'Astrakhan mutton' by the end of the year or early next, according to the region's Minister of Agriculture, Ruslan Pashayev. The region, home to approximately 1.5 million sheep, primarily of the Edilbay breed, has seen a slight increase in sheep and goat meat production, reaching nearly 10 thousand tons in the first nine months of this year. The region's annual demand for mutton is estimated at 3.5 thousand tons, with the remainder being exported to other regions in Russia and countries like Iran, Qatar, and Jordan. The region is also in talks with Turkmenistan about exporting about 10 thousand tons of lamb.