Food supply concerns rise

Kazakhstan is an important global grain producer. Last week, Kazakhstan announced temporary quotas on wheat and wheat flour exports. This has increased regional concerns about food supply.

The quotas, which came into effect on April 15, will remain in effect until at least June 15 and will limit wheat grain exports to 1 million tons and wheat flour exports to 300,000 tons.

Kazakhstan is a critical producer for its Central Asian neighbors. According to the International Grain Council (ICG), Kazakhstan exported an estimated 8.1 million tons of wheat in the 2020-2021 season. Wheat exports accounted for more than 25% of all Kazakhstan's exports to Uzbekistan in 2020. In Tajikistan, the situation is more critical. In 2020, 96 percent of all wheat imported by Tajikistan came from Kazakhstan.

Russia's war in Ukraine is deepening an emerging crisis due to the pandemic. According to the FAO, disruption to global supply chains, including food, in 2020 contributed to the increasing number of people with food insecurity in the Europe and Central Asia region.

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