Comments on: Flour Crisis Will Cause Instability?

By: Beyond the River » Blog Archive » 2007 in Retrospect: Bread

Beyond the River » Blog Archive » 2007 in Retrospect: Bread — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 22:37:37 +0000

[…] was the rise in the price of staple foods, especially bread. As Vadim of tajikistan.neweurasia.net reported throughout the year, the population of Tajikistan struggled to get through the month on salaries that were suddenly […]

By: tajikistan.neweurasia.net » We live the worst life amongst the ex-Soviet countries

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 12:36:35 +0000

[…] of war we could be better off. And as I understand our living standards will get even lower due to rapid increase in prices for food and other products. This is crazy! Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social […]

By: Doroud

Doroud — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 18:03:50 +0000

Hey guys, this comment does not exactly belong here, but some days ago, i read an article in “Le monde” speaking about the increase in the prices of cereals and the countries it would affect the most; accompanying this article was a map showing the poorest (cereal importing) countries who would suffer the most from this increase in cereal prices and oddly, in the whole Central Asia and Middle East, the most severe situation was apparently that of TJ, and i wondered how could this be true, given that all the post-soviet countries are more or less poor…
Now it is kind of believable as it if not the first time lately that i have heard my relatives complaining from this drastic increase in flour prices… but i thought that the situation was more or less the same in other central asian countries (except, KZ for instance).
So could someone who has enough information about this please clarify this?
PS - (by cereals i mean wheat and rice, and not kellogs cereal)

By: Vadim

Vadim — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 05:09:57 +0000

Tajik boy, you’re right that the price increase is artificial. Usually during the Holy Ramadan prices for food increase dramatically, because many families prepare (save money) for this month and they are ready to buy fresh food even for higher prices than usual. The traders know about it. It is worth of mentioning that Ramadan is not only about not-eating (fasting) but also about eating. People eat such a food during this month that they won’t eat during the rest of the year, mostly the sweet stuff.

By: Vadim

Vadim — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 04:58:05 +0000

I think the crisis has already happened before anyone paid any attention. One lepeshka (round bread) last year in this period of the year cost 25 dirams, now it costs 1 somoni (1 somoni = 100 dirams, 1USD=3.45 somoni). This is unjustifiable increase. Certainly the worst thing is that salaries are not changing according to the market trends. The more I live in this country after my long absence the more I don’t understand how do people survive.

By: Tajik Boy

Tajik Boy — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 13:17:59 +0000

I think the price increase is artificial. Flour traders know that there will be a surge in demand for flour when ramadan ends and want to take advantage of the situation.

By: CXW

CXW — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 16:02:12 +0000

This doesn't sound promising at all - especially with reports from Uzbekistan that vegetable oil and flour are going to be rationed (see Ferghana.ru and Registan). At the same time, I guess one could argue that the Uzbek government is doing something (regardless of motivations) and it might be the only course of action the Tajik government can take if external help isn't forthcoming. Is it a possibility? Alternatively, which countries might have an interest in providing assistance? One can only hope it isn't going to be yet another case when a crisis has to have already happened before anyone pays any attention.