(MENAFN- AzerNews) Kyrgyzstan has significantly increased imports of Russian wheat.
The Russian Federation's share in the grain market in the republic
has increased to 97 percent, Azernews reports,
citing 24 News Agency.
According to the country's National Statistical Committee, in
January - September 2023, Russia supplied about 207,000 tons of
wheat to Kyrgyzstan. This is 17 percent more than in the same
period in 2022. Thanks to this, it was possible to cope with the
threat of rising prices for socially significant products and to
support related industries - flour milling enterprises, the work of
which largely depends on imported raw materials.
It is noted that the increase in the share of Russian grain in
the local market is associated with two factors. The first,
external, is restrictions on supplies from Kazakhstan, introduced
by the authorities of the neighboring republic due to drought,
which led to the harvest reduction. Before these measures were
taken, about half of the total flour needed by Kyrgyzstan was
imported from Kazakhstan.
((The price of a bag of flour before the ban on supplies from
Kazakhstan was 1,400 soms. Afterwards it rose to 1,500,)) the Deputy
Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Bakyt Torobaev said.
To keep the price from skyrocketing, the Kyrgyzstan's
authorities had to take extraordinary measures. The government has
imposed a temporary ban on the export of wheat flour and grain
abroad, which will remain in effect at least until the spring of
2024. At the same time, it was decided to allocate 40,000 tons of
wheat from the State Material Reserves Fund for the country's
processing enterprises. At the same time, in the capital and
regions, by order of the authorities, points were opened where
citizens can buy flour at a price below the market one. Then the
government introduced state regulation of bread prices.
Another factor that led to a sharp increase in supplies from
Russia was the reduction in the grain harvest in Kyrgyzstan. The
reason is the same as in Kazakhstan, drought.
According to the National Statistical Committee, due to
abnormally high temperatures in the summer during the growing
season, the gross harvest of wheat decreased by 25.8 percent, and
barley - by 29.5 percent.
Despite the increase in grain supplies from Russia to the Kyrgyz
market, in dollar terms, imports of the socially important product
decreased by 31 percent. According to the National Statistical
Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic, this is due to a reduction of the
average price of Russian wheat. Since the beginning of the year, it
has fallen in price by 41 percent and was estimated at $161 per ton
by the beginning of October 2023.
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