Deputy Burul Amanova from the Jogorku Kenesh has proposed an initiative to stop the import of rice that is being smuggled into the country from Uzbekistan.
According to her, rice producers from the village of Ak-Tulpar, located in the Batken region, have expressed concern that they cannot sell their products due to the emergence of cheaper smuggled rice on the market.
In response to this situation, the Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry, Bakyt Torobaev, stated that he is not aware of any facts regarding the import of smuggled rice.
However, he added that the Minister of Agriculture of Uzbekistan had previously requested supplies of 32 thousand tons of rice due to a shortage of products in his country.
“I explained that we do not have such a volume, but I instruct to strengthen control at the border,” noted Torobaev.
