“Potatoes now pricier than oranges?” Ministry explains rising prices in Kazakhstan

Tengrinews.kz – Kazakhstanis have taken to social media to express frustration over soaring potato prices, particularly in Almaty, where some say potatoes are now more expensive than oranges.

The controversy began after a video went viral showing a shopper shocked by the cost of new potatoes in a local supermarket, where prices reached nearly 1,300 tenge per kilogram.

In the video, she compared the price of potatoes to fruits like pomelos and grapefruits, which were cheaper, and pointed out that oranges were being sold “practically for free”.

@keit_rova Цена картошки у нас превышает все ожидания За один кг молодого картофеля придется выложить 1.299 тенге, спасибо, пожалуйста Получается, что это тоже экзотика, как фрукты, которые у нас в Казахстане не растут. И тут у меня возникает огромный вопрос, с какой стати? Мой шок в шоке, я пошла копить на картошку #ценыалматы #almaty #видеоалматы #чтопроисходит #новостиалматы #продуктыалматы #кейтрова #простобугровы ♬ оригинальный звук - keit_rova

“So does this mean potatoes are now an exotic item, like fruits we don’t even grow in Kazakhstan? I’m speechless. Time to start saving up for potatoes,” she wrote.

Why are potatoes so expensive?

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Agriculture explained that fresh potato supply in spring mainly depends on imports. According to Vice Minister of Agriculture Yerbol Taszhurekov, Kazakhstan’s main harvest occurs in August-September, and that crop is stored for consumption through fall, winter and early spring.

“In neighboring countries, due to earlier growing seasons, harvesting begins in March-April. That’s why in spring, alongside stored local potatoes, fresh imported potatoes also appear on store shelves,” Taszhurekov noted.

Data from Kazakhstan’s inspection committee shows that between March and April, the country imported 37,800 tons of potatoes, mainly from Uzbekistan, Egypt, Afghanistan, Georgia, China, Pakistan and Russia.

Meanwhile, early domestic harvesting is expected to yield 216,700 tons in May, including 186,200 tons in Turkistan region, 17,700 tons in Almaty region and 12,800 tons in Zhambyl region.

In total, Kazakhstan harvested 2.6 million tons of potatoes in 2024, with the largest production coming from Pavlodar (614,800 tons), Karaganda (372,900 tons), Turkistan (285,200 tons), Almaty (214,500 tons) and East Kazakhstan (191,300 tons) regions.

Price controls and discrepancies

Potatoes are officially listed among Kazakhstan’s socially significant food products, meaning price markups are regulated by the government. Retailers are limited to a maximum 15 percent markup over wholesale prices.

The Almaty Department of Entrepreneurship and Investments explained that stores offer various types of potatoes at different prices, including imported varieties from Pakistan and Uzbekistan. According to one retailer, social potatoes were selling for 193 tenge per kilogram, while local new potatoes were priced at 1,299 tenge. Potatoes from Pakistan were priced at 349 tenge, and premium local potatoes at 399 tenge per kilogram.

Earlier, discrepancies were found between reported and actual potato reserves in Kazakhstan’s stabilization funds. A government review revealed mismatches between official figures and stockpiles in some regions, leading to increased imports from Pakistan and China to stabilize supply.

In January, following a sharp price spike, the government temporarily restricted potato exports for six months to third countries.

According to First Vice Minister of Trade and Integration Aizhan Bizhanova, potatoes saw the highest price increase among vegetables in early 2024, rising 19.3 percent.