Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan commented on rumors about a sharp rise in potato prices. The department noted that information had been spread on social media about the price of potatoes reaching 12,000 soums per kilogram.

According to monitoring conducted by the ministry’s staff in Tashkent markets, the average price of a kilogram of potatoes at the Food City market is 8,500 soums. In other locations, the price ranges from 9,000 to 10,000 soums, while at specialized markets with discounted prices, potatoes are sold for 5,000–6,000 soums.

Several factors contributed to the price increase. The main reason was the insufficient potato harvest from the land sown in the fall. In 2024, the harvest from re-sown lands was only 1 million tons, which is 44% of the seasonal need, estimated at 1.7 million tons.

Additionally, the Ministry of Agriculture noted the rise in the cost of planting material, fertilizers, fuel, and other materials. The expenses for planting potatoes per hectare amount to 55–60 million soums, which is 2–2.5 times higher than for other agricultural crops.

Since 2020, the price of potatoes has increased by 173%, due to the rise in the cost of potash fertilizers (175%), diesel fuel (178%), electricity (180%), and agrochemicals (202%). The increase in VAT and water usage tax also contributed to the price rise.

To stabilize prices, 9,900 tons of potatoes from reserves were placed on markets, with the total reserve amounting to 245.6 thousand tons. Additionally, Uzbekistan imported over 94,000 tons of potatoes from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and Kyrgyzstan, and suppliers were allocated additional railway cars to increase supply volumes.

The Ministry of Agriculture expects potato prices to stabilize in February-March due to these measures. Additionally, with the start of sales from the new harvest in April, expected from 122,000 hectares of land, a seasonal price decrease is anticipated.

The ministry also commented on the detention of a potato shipment from Kazakhstan at the border. The detention was related to phytosanitary control, during which technical errors in the documents were found. The issues were resolved promptly, and the cargo has already arrived at the Chukursai railway station, where it is being distributed to retail points.

Phytosanitary and logistical processes are under the Ministry of Agriculture’s control to ensure the availability of affordable and high-quality products. The ministry assured that measures would be taken to prevent similar situations in the future.

It was previously reported that President Shavkat Mirziyoyev set a goal for Uzbekistan to achieve self-sufficiency in potatoes by 2027.