DUSHANBE, September 27, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- The price of imported wheat four has risen 6.2 percent over the past week and 22.5 percent compared to August, according to the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MEDT).

The source at a MEDT says monitoring conducted by the ministry’s specialists at Dushanbe’s largest bazaars has shown that current price for a 50-kilogram sack of Kazakh wheat flower of superior quality fluctuates from 115 to 130 somoni in Dushanbe, while current price for a 50-kilogram sack of domestic wheat flour is now 105-115 somoni at Dushanbe’s bazaars (33.3 percent rise compared to August).

According to him, the flour price hike has resulted not only from increasing grain and flour prices in the countries that provide the bulk of Tajikistan’s gain and flour imports but also from speculations at local markets.  “The prices are unfoundedly high,” the source said, noting that flour price hike will lead to increase in prices of some food products.

In the meantime, according to the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) the wholesale price of one ton of Kazakh wheat flour has increased to some US$300.00 (nearly US$60.00 rise compared to the summer prices).

Over the first eight months of this year, Tajikistan has reportedly imported 262,132.5 tons of wheat and 219,200 tons of wheat flour.

Specialists from a MoA expect local farmers to produce 917,000 tons of grains this year, while Tajikistan’s annual requirements in cereals are now 1.429 million tons.  As of September 20, 2010, Tajikistan produced 516,252 tons of wheat.

Kazakhstan now accounts for 96 percent of the overall volume of Tajikistan’s grain imports and the remaining 4 percent are delivered from Russia and Belarus.