At the start of spring 2026, the fresh fruit and vegetable market in Kazakhstan showed an atypical level of stability. In March, prices decreased by 0.3% compared to February, while in the same period of 2025, prices had increased by 3.8%. Year-on-year, prices remained almost unchanged compared to March 2025.
Among individual products, lemons recorded the highest increase, rising by 50% over the year. Carrots increased by 26.1%, apples and pears by 13.5%, oranges by 6.4%, beetroot by 4.2%, and bananas by 1.6%. In contrast, cucumber prices dropped sharply by 40.9%. Tomatoes decreased by 16.5%, onions by 15.8%, cabbage by 10.1%, and potatoes by 7.3%.
Supply structure remained a key factor influencing pricing. In January 2026, imports declined across most categories. Potato imports fell by 2.9 times, carrots by 2.7 times, peppers by 2.1 times, melons by 43.9%, and grapes by 41.4%. This indicates either increased domestic production or partial substitution of imports.
At the same time, off-season trade activity remained high for certain greenhouse vegetables. Imports of cucumbers increased by 22.4%, and tomatoes by 2.1%. Tomato exports also rose by 2.1 times, reflecting active trade flows during the greenhouse production period.
Export volumes grew significantly across several categories. Apple exports increased by 4.5 times, potatoes by 4.3 times, carrots by 2.7 times, and cabbage by 40.7%.
In a regional comparison across Central Asia and the Eurasian Economic Union, Kazakhstan occupies a mid-range price position between lower-cost Central Asian markets and higher-priced EAEU countries. As of April 2026, the lowest prices for apples, potatoes, onions, and tomatoes were recorded in Uzbekistan, while bananas and oranges were cheapest in Armenia.
The highest prices for apples, potatoes, and tomatoes were observed in Russia. Bananas were most expensive in Kazakhstan, oranges in Uzbekistan, and onions in Belarus.
Source: energyprom.kz
