The average price index for social food products in the Republic of Kazakhstan decreased by 0.1% during the week. The key role in this was played by regional stabfonds, which began to form stocks of products since last year instead of purchasing socially important food products under ‘revolving schemes’.

Returning from Aktobe region, Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin on 13 April held a meeting on the situation with prices and availability of social food products in the regions, especially in areas affected by floods.  

According to First Deputy Minister of Trade and Integration Aizhan Bizhanova, over the past week, the average price index for socially important food products decreased by 0.1%. The main contribution to the overall statistics of price decline gave 8 regions, of which 5 - among those severely affected by melt water: Aktobe (-0.5%), Akmola (-0.4%), North Kazakhstan (-0.3%), West Kazakhstan (-0.1%), Zhambyl (-0.3%), Pavlodar (-0.1%) regions, Almaty (-0.3%), Shymkent (-0.7%). 

In the context of individual goods there is a slight increase in prices for sugar. This is due to the end of sugar beet processing in Russia and the increase in selling prices from producers. Now the Ministry of Trade is working on mechanisms to stabilise the cost of this product. 

In order to restrain prices for flour of 1 grade in Almaty and Aktobe regions, it is instructed to consider the possibility of supplying cheaper wheat from the reserves of ‘Prodkorporatsiya’. In addition, on April 3 this year, 9 regions - Kostanai, Kyzylorda, Pavlodar, Mangystau, Karaganda, North Kazakhstan, Atyrau regions, Astana and Almaty - contracted in Shymkent with the help of Qaztrade JSC the first 4,000 tonnes of early harvest of onions and potatoes. 

"In the 10 regions affected by the floods, the state of trade infrastructure and prices in the Socially important food products are under daily control. Trade and catering services are working, hotlines have been set up for citizens' appeals, and public control points have been opened to deal with business and public complaints. Businesses have signed memorandums for the supply of the most important food and non-food items, totalling 635,000 tonnes. Some 767 tonnes of social foodstuffs were sold from the reserves of the Stabilisation Funds. More than 140 administrative cases were initiated in 10 affected regions on the fact of overpricing of socially important food products, 122 warnings were given, 17 fines were imposed," Aizhan Bizhanova said.

The issue of providing Petropavlovsk with drinking water is under special control. As of 18:30 hours on 13 April, 335 tonnes of water have been brought to the city for the day, new wagons and cars with bottled water arrive every 2-3 hours, distribution to neighborhood shops and networks of the city is underway.  The supply of bottled drinking water will be continuous.

In Mangistau, due to disruptions in road communication with Atyrau, from where the main supplies of food products are delivered, delivery is reoriented to railway transport. 

In West-Kazakhstan region in all affected districts there is a sufficient stock of socially important food products. Road communication is preserved, in 9 settlements deliveries are made by boat crossing. In Atyrau oblast there are also necessary stocks of products, contracts for delivery of 1st grade flour for production of social bread have been concluded.  In Kostanay region the situation with food is stable, in the most waterlogged areas products are delivered by helicopters. 

In turn, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Yerbol Taszhurekov noted that, according to akimats, SPKs have stocks of the main types of socially important food products in the total volume of 186.8 tonnes: flour - 22.3 thousand tonnes, rice - 14.6 thousand tonnes, vegetables - 93 thousand tonnes, sugar - 46 thousand tonnes, sunflower oil - 10 thousand tonnes. 

"Akimats systematically sell volumes of social food products in accordance with previously concluded contracts with suppliers. Allocation of vegetables from stab funds is going on. The total volume of vegetable sales in the regions is 42% of the formed stocks. The Ministry of Agriculture monitors the availability of social food products. According to the latest data, in the flood-affected regions there are no interruptions in supplies, as well as flooding of vegetable storages and warehouses of agricultural enterprises or their partners," the Deputy Minister of Agriculture informed.

Regions have been instructed to start work in advance to conclude contracts for the supply of imported early vegetables and to assess the available stocks, taking into account the needs for the coming months. The MoA, along with the ITIs on the ground, will form working groups next week to take a closer look at the available socially important food products stocks. 

"In a difficult time of emergency in 10 regions, we are seeing that staple funds, whose stocks had previously played a smoothing role in off-season fluctuations, have played a key role in stabilising prices and securing food supplies. From next week we will switch to operational mode of work, we will hold meetings on food control twice a week until the situation stabilises. According to forecasts, big water is coming to West-Kazakhstan region. I instruct the Akimat to promptly together with the Trade Committee to check the condition of storage facilities. If there is the slightest threat of flooding, remove food to safe places.  I instruct “Prodkorporatsiya to organise delivery of cheap grain to Atyrau as soon as possible," Serik Zhumangarin concluded the meeting.

#Floods #Serik Zhumangarin #Socially Important Food Products