Due to Kazakhstan imposing restrictions on potato exports, there are reports that potato prices in Uzbekistan might significantly increase. The Ministry of Agriculture has commented on this.
It is stated that the annual demand for potatoes by the population of Uzbekistan amounts to 4 million tons. In 2024, the country produced a total of 3.7 million tons, of which 2.7 million tons were from the main harvest and 1 million tons as a repeated crop. Of this yield, 600 thousand tons were reserved for next season's planting as seed potatoes, and natural losses were estimated at around 100 thousand tons (3 percent).
For the winter and spring seasons of 2024—2025, 245.5 thousand tons of potatoes were stored by the enterprises involved by local administrations, and monitoring was conducted by sectors through the online platform fsp.agro.uz.
“The schedule for releasing the stored product to the domestic consumption market every ten days has been approved by the Ministry of Economy and Finance by regions and sent to the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, regional administrations, and the city of Tashkent for implementation”, states the ministry's report.
As of January 20, 2025, the enterprises mobilized by local administrations have introduced a total of 6.3 thousand tons of potatoes to the domestic markets, with a reserve balance of 239.2 thousand tons. In 2024, 703 thousand tons of potatoes were imported, including 74.4 thousand tons in December alone.
The ministry's report emphasizes that potato imports to Uzbekistan are not solely dependent on the Republic of Kazakhstan. Thanks to the efforts to diversify agricultural products and ensure food security, potato imports have also been established from neighboring countries such as Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Afghanistan.
In particular, to prevent a shortage of potatoes in the country and to take timely measures, a delegation of the Uzbekistan Ministry of Agriculture, including the Agency for Plant Quarantine and Protection, visited Iran and Pakistan from December 6 to 11, 2024. According to the agreements reached during the visit, 200 thousand tons of potatoes will be supplied to Uzbekistan from Iran and Pakistan, 100 thousand tons from each, in January – May 2025.
Furthermore, the potato yield cultivated in the fields of Surkhandarya region will be fully introduced to the country's markets in the second half of March and April.
To ensure the supply of potatoes to the domestic market and maintain price stability, the following will be implemented:
- Together with the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, and regional administrations, 239.2 thousand tons of potatoes stored in processing enterprises will be systematically released to the domestic market in amounts of 15-25 thousand tons every ten days, based on a schedule;
- The Quarantine Agency will organize additional imports of potatoes from Pakistan and Iran, 100 thousand tons from each, and from Afghanistan in compliance with phytosanitary requirements;
- In January, 7.5 thousand hectares in the Surkhandarya region and in February, 28.5 thousand hectares across all regions (excluding the Republic of Karakalpakstan and Khorezm region) will be planted with potatoes, and by April and May, a harvest of 70 thousand tons and 450 thousand tons, respectively, will be produced and directed to the domestic market, fully meeting the population's demand.
“Based on the above, we ask our compatriots not to be misled by unilaterally obtained information about the rise in potato prices in our country being disseminated”, says the ministry's report.
