DUSHANBE, April 1, Asia-Plus — This year’s extreme winter weather has led to increase in prices of some basic food products in Tajikistan.
The prices of meat, for example, have increased on average by some 30 percent. Thus the price of one kilogram of beef in Dushanbe has risen from 14 somonis on March 17 to 18 somonis, with similar price rises in the provinces.
The mutton prices have also increased over the report period from 16-17 to 19-20 somonis per kilogram.
The prices of chicken meat have remained unchanged – 7.5 somois per kilogram.
Butchers attribute the price hike to unusually cold weather this winter, when a serious loss of cattle and rise in the forage prices were reported in the country. Another reason is lack of spring precipitations that have affected pasture forage growing, according to them.
In the meantime, specialists from the Dushanbe trade and markets directorate said that meat price hike has resulted from rising demand for meat during Navrouz celebrations. According to them, the meat price situation in Dushanbe will become stable within the next few days.
We will recall that some 3,000 head of cattle, some 30,000 head of sheep and goats as well as 400 head of horses and more than 35,000 head of poultry perished in the country this winter.
Prices of wheat flour have also increased last month. Overt he last ten days of March, the price for a 50-kilogram sack of Russian and Kazakh wheat flour has increased from 105 somonis on march 20 to 112 somonis on March 31. Domestic flour now costs 106 somonis per a 50-kilogram sack.
Businesspeople and specialists say that the flour price hikes are a result of rising cost of grain and flour prices in Russia and Kazakhstan, which provide the bulk of Tajikistan’s grain and flour imports.
In the meantime, despite unusually cold weather this winter, prices of farm products have practically not changed since the beginning of this year.
