On 5 July the authorities of Turkmenistan announced the 2019 wheat harvest results.
According to official data, Turkmenistan exceeded the plan by harvesting 1,650,00 tons of grain.
Later Chronicles of Turkmenistan reported that in fact half of the volume, 845,000 tons of grain, was harvested. Nevertheless, correspondents of Chronicles of Turkmenistan expected that this volume would be sufficient for some time and the situation with regard to the deficit of flour in staterun stores would improve.
However, there has been no improvement so far.
Only the 1 grade flour, which costs 0,91 manat per kilo, is available in Ashgabat stores owned by the Ministry of Trade. It does not sell well because of its low quality.
Premium quality flour at the price of 3 manats is in big demand. Yet, it is almost never available or even when it is supplied to local stores, they run out of flour within a few hours.
Sometimes the aforementioned flour is available at the counters of privatelyowned shops but the price is 25% higher 4 manats. It appears that it was supposed to be sold at staterun stores but is bought in bulk by owners of privatelyowned stores to be further resold.
Russian and Kazakhstanproduced flour, which is sold by weight at 8 and 7 manats per kilo respectively, is available.
A similar situation is being observed with regard to bread. Privatelyowns stores sell chorek flat bread, which cost 1 manat per piece, without any restrictions and in any amount.
From early in the morning customers queue up in front of the staterun retail outlets to buy bread at the price of 0,6 manat but loaves are sold out literally within an hour.
Source: Chronicles of Turkmenistan
