DUSHANBE, February 23, 2011, Asia-Plus — The decision of Dushanbe mayor’s office to allocate funds to curb further rise in prices of basic food products is a contingency measure and it was necessary under the current situation in Dushanbe’s food market.
Ismoil Talbakov, member of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) Committee on Economics, Budget and Finances, remarked this in an interview with Asia-Plus.
We will recall that Dushanbe Mayor Mahmadsaid Ubaidulloyev on February 21 singed a decree on allocation of 12 million somoni from the city budget to curb food price hike in the city. In accordance with this decree and under a tripartite agreement signed between the Dushanbe finance department, state unitary enterprise, Markets and Trade of Dushanbe, and open joint-stock company Jasour, the last has pledged itself to deliver enough grains and flour to the Tajik capital that will be realized in the city through enterprises of Markets and Trade of Dushanbe. The funds must be repaid until September 1 this year.
MP, however, opposes to decision to purchase grains and flour outside the country. “They must purchase grains from domestic producers, especially as Tajik farmers yielded nearly 1.5 million tons of grains last year” said Talbakov, “Purchasing grains inside the country, they would promote the development of the domestic production of grains. Tajik farmers will be interested in extending areas under cereals if they are sure that the government will purchase their product at the world prices.”
Besides, purchase of products inside the country promotes keeping currency balance in the country, he added. “Purchasing products in other countries, they have to pay in USD, while local farmers could sell their products for the national currency,” MP said.
In the meantime, current Tajikistan’s annual requirements in cereals amount to more than 1.6 million tons and to meet its requirements in cereals, Tajikistan has to import up to 600,000 tons of grains and flour annually. According to the statistical data from the Ministry of Agriculture, all categories of farms last year produced 1.261 million tons of cereals, including 911,821 tons of wheat. In 2010, Tajikistan imported 442,800 tons of wheat and 371,600 tons of flour.
