Kyrgyzstan bans flour, wheat exports for six months

BISHKEK. Sept 26 (Interfax) - The government of Kyrgyzstan has imposed a six-month ban on exports of wheat flour and food wheat in order to ensure the country's food security and stabilize market prices for food products, the Agriculture Ministry reported.

The government resolution to temporarily ban exports of "certain types of agricultural goods" was passed on Friday and went into effect on Monday.

The Economics and Commerce Ministry has been instructed to notify the World Trade Organization, Eurasian Economic Commission and CIS Executive Committee about the ban.

Data from the National Statistics Committee show that the wheat crop area in Kyrgyzstan decreased by 1.6% to 232,100 hectares this season from 233,700 hectares a year earlier, and yields worsened. The country's farmers finished harvesting wheat at the end of August.

Kyrgyzstan exported 1,600 tonnes of wheat in 2022, but has not exported any grain this year. The country exported 1,500 tonnes of flour to Uzbekistan in July 2023 after not exporting any last year.