DUSHANBE, January 3, Asia-Plus Prices of some basic food products have increased in Tajikistan by the New Year’s holiday.

             Odina Odinayev, head of the department for monitoring prices within the Ministry of Economy and Trade, has told Asia-Plus that during the New Year’s holidays, prices of some food products such as sausages, noodles, potatoes, rice, onions, apples, pears, grapes, and pomegranates increased by 16.66 percent compared to the same period of 2004.  At the same time, prices of dairy products, mandarins and lemons decreased by 9.8 percent. 

            Prices of other products set by sellers on the Dushanbe markets have remained the same, according to him.  At the same time, the prices of dairy products and other food products will have increased by Id-i Qurbon, which is marked this year on January 10, Odinayev added.

            According to local experts estimates, prices of basic food products are supposed to decrease only during the second half of January.