DUSHANBE, March 26, 2015, Asia-Plus — Tajikistan has reportedly reduced its wheat flour imports.
According to the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan, 9 million U.S. dollars worth of almost 22,000 tons of wheat flour have been delivered to Tajikistan in January-February this year, which was 40 percent or almost 15,000 tons fewer than in the same period last year.
Wheat imports have reportedly also been reduced over the same two-month period. In January-February this year, Tajikistan has imported a total of US$31.5 million worth of 108,000 tons of wheat, which was 10.6 percent or 13,700 tons fewer than in the same period last year.
According to the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MEDT), grain and flour remain the most important imported food products.
58,500 tons of grain at an average price of 298 USD per ton and 11,200 tons of flour at an average price of 411 USD per ton were imported into the country in January this year, which was 21.5 percent less grain and 35.6 percent less flour compared to January of the previous year.
In February 2015, the prices of wheat flour remained stable at the country’s markets. As of February 27, 2015, the average price for a 50-kilogram sack of domestically-produced first grade flour was 155.50 somoni (equivalent to 28.6 USD). The price of first grade flour produced in Kazakhstan was 163.50 somoni (30.1 USD).
Russia and Kazakhstan provide the bulk of Tajikistan’s grain and flour imports.
