Kazakhstan: Wholesale Potato Prices Vary Widely by Region at Harvest, From 100 to 290 Tenge per kg
Almaty region shows the highest wholesale quotes at 190–290 tenge per kg, while most regions trade at 100–150 tenge, according to data compiled by a Kazakh market research bureau.
Wholesale potato prices in Kazakhstan show a wide gap between regions at harvest time, according to data as of 18 September published by the market analysis site EastFruit on 22 September. The figures were compiled by the research bureau “Grain and Oilseeds. Kazakhstan”.
The highest wholesale prices were recorded in Almaty region, at 190–290 tenge per kilogram. The Astana area followed at 180–250 tenge, Kostanay at 150–250 tenge, North Kazakhstan at 150–200 tenge and Pavlodar at 115–200 tenge. In most other regions, wholesale potatoes traded at 100–150 tenge per kilogram.
Farm-gate prices were lower. Growers around Astana received 130–150 tenge per kilogram, those in Kostanay 130–140 tenge and those in Pavlodar 90–110 tenge.
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The data point to a spread of nearly three times between the cheapest and most expensive wholesale quotes in the country. The upper end of the Almaty range, 290 tenge, is almost double the 150-tenge ceiling seen in most regions.
The figures come from a single source; the bureau’s original report could not be located, so they are reported here as published by EastFruit.
EastFruit did not explain the causes of the gap. The data also do not say how much of the crop had been harvested by 18 September or how prices compare with the same date last year, so it is not possible to tell whether the regional spread is typical for this point in the season.
The farm-gate figures show the margin between what growers receive and what wholesale buyers pay. In Pavlodar, for example, farm-gate prices of 90–110 tenge compare with wholesale quotes of 115–200 tenge in the same region.
Kazakhstan is the dominant supplier of imported potatoes to neighbouring Uzbekistan, as potatoes.news has reported (read more). Domestic price levels at harvest affect how much Kazakh potato is offered for export in autumn.
Why it matters
For Kazakh growers, the gap between farm-gate and wholesale prices, and between regions, shows where selling or moving potatoes pays. For buyers in Uzbekistan and other neighbouring markets, northern regions with lower prices are the likely source of export volumes this season.
Photo: The Green Bazaar in Almaty, Kazakhstan (illustrative). Spacekid / Wikimedia Commons, CC0
