Uran Chekirbaev, head of the food security department of the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic, discussed numerous factors affecting the pricing of socially significant products in an interview on Birinchi Radio. He also touched upon the level of food security in the country.
According to him, price increases are observed not only for staple products. Chekirbaev noted that the economic situation should be assessed as a whole — the country's economy has doubled over the past three years, from 8 to over 17 billion US dollars. On average, the population's income is increasing by 10%, although there may be individuals whose incomes have not changed. This overall increase in income creates demand for goods, especially for socially significant ones, which should be taken into account.
He also reported that Kyrgyzstan is fully self-sufficient in six products; however, there is currently a shortage of three, which forces the country to resort to imports.
Among the factors affecting prices, Chekirbaev highlighted external circumstances, such as inflation in neighboring countries, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Russia, as well as in several European countries and the USA. For example, he mentioned the recent decision by Donald Trump to reduce customs tariffs on meat and staple food products.
“Kyrgyzstan is part of the global economy, and such processes inevitably affect us. Many factors need to be considered,” he noted.
Chekirbaev also emphasized that the government is taking steps to control prices to avoid sharp increases. An important aspect is preventing manipulation by intermediaries who may artificially inflate costs. He noted that recently there has been a decrease in meat prices in markets, ranging from 20 to 50 soms.
Additionally, he mentioned the need to study the value chain, identifying areas where price inflation occurs. It should be noted that many farmers do not have the opportunity to sell their products directly in markets, especially in Bishkek, which leads intermediaries to purchase large quantities of livestock and set the final price.
“Currently, we are analyzing the reasons for price inflation. Information has come in that intermediaries may add 100-200 soms to the cost of meat. We need to thoroughly investigate this situation. Nevertheless, they have already begun to hear calls from the government and ministries, and we are actively working in this direction,” Chekirbaev noted.
He also reminded about food security last year. Kyrgyzstan was fully self-sufficient in potatoes, vegetables, lamb, and beef, as well as milk. The self-sufficiency level for sugar was over 90%, and for eggs — about 75%. Although private producers claim that the sector fully meets the needs, including households. The self-sufficiency level for vegetable oil is 56%, and for bread products — 70%. The situation with poultry meat is not as favorable: this year about 58 thousand tons are being imported.
Chekirbaev noted that Kyrgyzstan does not import sugar: despite the fact that last year the country was fully self-sufficient and even exported about 15 thousand tons, there remains approximately 15 thousand tons of sugar in stock.
