On June 2, during a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Agricultural Policy, MP Balbak Tulobaev questioned the Ministry of Agriculture about the country's potato imports from China. "We are fully self-sufficient in potatoes, domestic production covers 123% of our needs. Yet we allowed the import of 11,000 tons of Chinese potatoes," he said.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture Zhanibek Kerimaliyev reported that between January and April 2025, Kyrgyzstan imported 11,000 tons of potatoes, while exporting 17,600 tons. MP Tulobaev questioned this policy, asking: "If we imported potatoes from China and still consumed them during the winter, why were domestic prices allowed to rise?"
In response, Kerimaliyev explained that the Ministry actively monitors annual potato production needs. "This year, productivity was strong. However, due to mudflows, there was a poor harvest in Kazakhstan and Russia. Many local farmers stored their potatoes to sell at higher autumn prices. That's why prices increased," he said.
Source: www.tazabek.kg