ALMATY, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Kazakh Ministry of Agriculture has decided to impose a six-month ban on potato exports to non-Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) countries to stabilize domestic potato prices, a statement published by the ministry said on Sunday.
Due to increased demand from neighboring countries and high export prices this year, potato exports have surged by 1.5 times, affecting local markets, said the ministry.
The ban, which will not apply to trade with EAEU member states, aims to prevent speculative price hikes ensure market stability, said the ministry, stressing that current potato reserves are sufficient to meet domestic demand until the early 2025 harvest.
As of Sunday, total reserves exceed 850,000 tons, excluding stock held in retail chains. The 2024 harvest was 2.9 million tons. ■
