Kazakh ban on wheat exports means hunger for her neighbors

RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS - In Brief 17 Apr 2022 by Alex Teddy

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On April 16 the announcement was made. Other Central Asian countries buy 90% of their wheat from Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan buys wheat from Russia and re-exports some of it. Russia is the world's main exporter. Moscow has banned wheat exports to fellow members of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). This shows how hollow the EEU is. If EEU members cannot rely on each other in their hour of need, then there is little purpose to the EEU. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus and Armenia are its members. The EEU is supposed to be Russia's equivalent of the European Union. Kazakhstan said it will only sell 1 million tons of wheat and 300,000 tons of flour to other countries from April 15 until July 15, 2022. Then the situation will be reviewed.Russia has suspended exports of wheat, rye, barley and maize until June 30. The aim is to ensure domestic food supply due to sanctions. It shows how much sanctions are hurting. Kazakhstan was Russia's biggest wheat market in the EEU. It had been able to buy wheat duty free. Kazakh flour mills began to say they were running short of bread.Kazakh wheat costs more than Russian wheat. Kazakh consumers are going to have to pay more now that they cannot buy Russian wheat. Ukraine is a major producer of wheat and corn. Ukraine is finding it hard to farm and even harder to export. The lack of Ukrainian products is leading to a world food shortage.Tajikistan buys 1 million tons of wheat from Kazakhstan each year. That is 94% of Tajikistan's grain import. Tajikistan is facing a food crisis. It is the poorest country in the former USSR.Tajikistan said it is going to prevent food prices rising but has not said how. Since April 1 the president has told peopl...