In Kazakhstan, local potatoes are expected to cost around 200 tenge per kilogram (€0.40) this spring, according to Vice Minister of Agriculture Azat Sultanov, LS reports.
"Regular potatoes from last year's harvest will not cost 500–600 tenge. I think the price will be around 200 tenge per kilogram. As the supervising vice minister responsible for crop production, I believe this will be the case," he said. The vice minister added that a schedule has been drawn up in Kazakhstan for releasing stocks from the country's stabilisation funds.
"Seventy percent of vegetable stocks will be released in February, and 30% in March. We do not hide the fact that during the off-season, in March and April, vegetables will be imported from other countries. We are currently working on contracts with these suppliers to prevent speculative price increases. Direct deliveries will make it possible to exclude intermediaries, and accordingly, imported products will not be as expensive. Since the beginning of the year, the natural price increase has been 0.6%. We are planning for growth within a corridor of 1% during the off-season. Imports will still take place, but not in the volume we expected last year," he explained.
However, Sultanov noted that premium potatoes are also sold in Kazakhstan at significantly higher prices. "For example, Egyptian potatoes may cost 500 tenge (€1.00). Our ministry has worked with the southern regions, and we expect early vegetables from the Turkestan region in April. But there is also its own price situation there due to production technology. Cucumbers are currently expensive. Why? Because they are greenhouse-grown rather than field-grown. Overall, we plan to prevent a sharp rise in prices," the vice minister concluded.
Source: lsm.kz
