Since the start of the year, the Department of Trade and Consumer Protection of the Kostanay Region has identified 29 entrepreneurs who violated the 15% trade markup on socially significant food products (SSFPs). Of these, seven are involved in the potato trade: one was fined, and the others received warnings.
According to the press service of the Trade Committee of the Ministry of Trade and Integration, monitoring results revealed that the price of washed potatoes in a net bag in one of the region's supermarkets was 421 tenge. It is noted that the price increase is linked to a rise in the producer's selling price.
"Additionally, an analysis of potato prices set by the producer in the 4th quarter of 2024 was conducted, which showed a 31.6% increase in the selling price from November to December 2024. As a result of the work carried out, the price of potatoes was reduced," the statement reads.
At the same time, specialists recorded cases of different prices being applied for the same product. Consequently, the department sent the analysis results to the Kostanay Region department of the Agency for the Protection and Development of Competition (APDC) to investigate possible abuse of a monopoly position and the setting of unjustifiably high prices.
Overall, the price of potatoes across the region ranges from 150 to 300 tenge per kilogram, and in retail trade from 150 to 154 tenge.
According to the regional Department of Agriculture and Land Relations, current potato stocks in the region amount to 12,128 tonnes.
It is worth recalling that in January, amid rising prices in some Small and Spar supermarkets, a limit on potato sales was introduced - no more than 5 kg per person. This was done to prevent wholesale buyouts by resellers for subsequent sale by local shops. The restriction was lifted the following day.
At that time, Vice-Minister of Agriculture Yerbol Taszhurekov promised that potato prices would no longer rise. According to him, the akimats have Stabilisation Funds with reserves worth approximately 115 billion tenge, aimed at providing the regions with the necessary volume of products.