Last Saturday, Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan Serik Zhumangarin held a meeting on the measures taken to curb the growth of prices for socially important food products in the regions, DKNews.kz reports.
In the context of the regions, prices for socially significant food products have increased the most since the beginning of the year in the Mangystau region (by 2.9%), 10 items of socially significant food products have risen in price there. Ulytau region (with an increase in prices by 2.6%) and Astana (an increase of 2.1%) also fell into the three anti-leaders.
At the same time, according to the Trade Committee, regional commissions on price restraint have begun to show real results in identifying unproductive intermediaries (125 meetings on this issue have been held in the regions since the beginning of the year).
«In Almaty, the chains of unproductive intermediaries and the facts of exceeding the trade premium above 15% in the food markets "Zhuldyz" and "Arystan" were revealed. Based on the results of the commission's work, the management of the markets ordered not to allow unnecessary intermediaries into their territories, thereby eliminating illegal activities that lead to price increases» Acting Chairman of the Trade Committee Aidar Abildabekov
According to him, an intermediary has been identified in the North Kazakhstan Region who supplied eggs (C1) to the store "at home". In the Almaty region, through the APDC (Agency for the Protection and Development of Competition), the actions of two enterprises show signs of anticompetitive coordinated actions in the sale of chicken eggs of the social category. All these facts indicate that the regional commissions have begun to identify specific cases of mediation and take appropriate measures.
Vice Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan Baglan Bekbauov reported on the ongoing work on the formation of reserves of regional stabilization funds for vegetables for the upcoming off-season.
«Twelve regions have already contracted potato volumes over 100% of the off–season demand, seven – over 50%; for carrots – ten regions have created stocks of more than 100%, eight – over 50%; for cabbage - five regions have signed contracts for 100% of the demand, nine – over 50%. According to Luk, nine regions are in the green zone, that is, they have contracted volumes of more than 100% of the demand, eight – over 50%. In the red zone, this is less than 50% contracting, for potato stocks – Almaty region, for carrots – Pavlodar and Almaty, for cabbage – Mangystau, Abai, Almaty, Zhambyl, Atyrau, Pavlodar, onion – Almaty, Pavlodar, Zhetysu» Baglan Bekbauov
Today, with the norms of rice consumption before the new harvest of 56.5 thousand tons (the period from February to August 2023), the reserves of akimats amount to 88.6 thousand tons. In addition, producers of the Kyzylorda region are ready to ship additional rice in the amount of 5,9 thousand tons, if there is a need. Thus, the available rice reserves are sufficient to fully meet the country's demand for rice until the next harvest.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, 36.8 hectares out of 170 affected greenhouses with a total area of 46 hectares were affected due to weather conditions in the Turkestan region, 9.2 hectares due to heating problems. Of these, only 1.2 hectares were planted with market–sensitive crops - cucumbers and tomatoes. Now, to support the affected farms, work is underway to provide them with preferential loans, establish direct coal supplies, and the issue of granting loan deferrals (based on damage certificates) is also being considered.
According to statistics, there are 1.2 thousand hectares of greenhouses in the republic today, producing cucumbers and tomatoes totaling about 190 thousand tons. This volume is enough to meet the demand of the population for greenhouse vegetables, taking into account the situation with the Turkestan region.
«Prices for vegetables in the off-season should be stable in each region, not differ from the established indicators (purchase price plus transportation costs, storage and trade allowance). We have approved a scheme for the purchase of early vegetables through the forward, but not all regions follow it, continue through "revolving schemes". I instruct the Trade Committee to check all regions for vegetable purchase prices through forward purchases and "turnaround schemes", and also to make a price analysis. We will make decisions based on its results» Serik Zhumangarin
