DUSHANBE, October 24, Asia-Plus — The price of one liter of cotton oil has risen from 5 somonis on October 17 to between 6 to 8.5 somonis, depending on quality and producer country, with similar price rises in other regions of the country.
Many entrepreneurs dealing in cotton oil on the capital markets have refrained from commenting on this subject, saying that they just deal in the product and are not engaged in pricing.
Meanwhile, an entrepreneur working with the Shohmansour market in Dushanbe, who introduced himself as Anvar, told Asia-Plus Some that rise in prices of the cotton oil in the country has been traced from cotton oil shortages in Uzbekistan, which provides the bulk of Tajik cotton oil imports.
Prices of vegetable oil imported from Russia, Kazakhstan and Iran have risen as well.
In the meantime, Ferghana.ru reported on October 24 that cooking oil, both vegetable and cotton, has essentially disappeared from Tashkent stores. The stores that used to sell numerous brands (local and imported from Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Iran) are empty nowadays.
Iranian Nina is the only exception, probably because it is somewhat more expensive than competing brands (3,800-3,900 sums or $3). It is not kept wherever it may be seen by customers, but a whispered question to the shopman usually suffices.
Palm oil from the United Arab Emirates in plastic canisters is available too (3 liter canister of Xayat at 9,500 sums or $7.4 and 5 liter of Taza at 15,500 or $12). Olive oil from Spain (250 gr) costs 6,000 sums or $4.7.
The price of cooking oil in Uzbekistan spiralled over the last two months from 2,200-2,400 sums ($1.7-1.9) to 3,300 or $2.6. Used to a profligate use of cooking oil, the population is getting definitely restive.
A great deal of cooking oil was usually brought from nearby Kazakhstan but its authorities banned oil export not long ago. Official Tashkent ascribes cooking oil shortage to this ban, but vendors themselves know better.
They say that the authorities of Uzbekistan once decided to apply the traditional administrative methods to bring the price of cooking oil down. The order was issued to sell cooking oil produced in the Commonwealth at no more than 1,800 sums or $1.4 a liter.
