DUSHANBE, September 17, 2010, Asia-Plus — Prices of imported grains and wheat flour have risen in Tajikistan.
Taghoymurod Sharipov, the director of the state unitary enterprise Ghalla (grain supply), says the price hike resulted from the rising cost of grain products in Russia and Kazakhstan, which provide the bulk of Tajikistan’s grain imports. Devastating drought afflicted crops in Russia and lower outputs are anticipated in Kazakhstan.
“The wholesale price of one ton of Kazakh wheat has increased from US$230 in July to US$285,” said Sharipov, “The price of one ton of Kazakh wheat flour has increased by US$30.00-US$40.00 over the report period and it now fluctuates from US$270.00 to US$288.00.”
The price for a 50-kilogram of Kazakh wheat flour at Dushanbe’s bazaars has risen from 105 somoni in August to 125 somoni.
Specialists from the Ministry of Agriculture expect local farmers to produce 917,000 tons of grains this year, while Tajikistan’s annual requirements in cereals are now 1.429 million tons.
Kazakhstan now accounts for 96 percent of the overall volume of Tajikistan’s grain imports and the remaining 4 percent are delivered from Russia and Belarus.
