Kazakh Deputy PM/Minister of Trade and Integration Serik Jumangarin announced the government’s plans to sell potatoes and carrots to Uzbekistan, and to buy them again in early spring, which is prompted by lack of storage facilities in Kazakhstan.
"We grow nearly everything ourselves, but not enough. Now we grow enough potatoes for export, but we cannot store them until, say, April. Therefore, we have to bring it from somewhere at the end of March, in April.
Now we are going to Uzbekistan, they need our potatoes and carrots. Now we are ready to make a contract with them and sell potatoes and carrots. We can buy potatoes and carrots from them in March-April," said Jumangarin.
"The state should not be involved in business. We have at least two or three warehouses in provinces. The reason why products go up in price is because we cannot store them until we need them. For example, until early spring. Storage facilities are scarce, especially climate-controlled warehouses. These are very important things," said Jumangarin.
