Potato Price Volatility in Uzbekistan

According to international trade data cited by EastFruit, the volume of potato imports to Uzbekistan in January-December 2022 amounted to 532,500 tonnes, which is 14,700 tonnes or 2.7% less than in 2021.

Uzbekistan made 3,441,700 tonnes of potatoes in 2022, which is 156,100 tonnes or 4.8% more than in 2021.

Uzbekistan's wholesale potato rates have been consistent and little changed since mid-July 2022. Except for a brief time in the second half of August of the previous year, the average wholesale price from July 15 to December 31, 2022, ranged between USD0.36 and USD0.40.

In response to the unusually cold weather in January 2023, wholesale costs for vegetables, including potatoes, rose sharply, rising from USD0.35 to USD0.44 from January 6 to January 20.

However, the average market price for potatoes dropped from USD0.44 to USD0.38 from January 20 to February 17, 2023. On February 17, 2023, Uzbekistan's average wholesale price for potatoes was 7.5% greater than it was the previous year.