IFPRI CENTRAL ASIA NEWS WEEKLY DIGEST (MAY 5 – MAY 11, 2015)

News and Analysis

Kazakhstan cuts forecast for grain exports in 2014/15

(Business Recorder, 5 May 2015) Kazakhstan, Central Asia's largest grain producer, has further cut its forecast for grain exports in the current marketing year by 0.5 million tons to about 6.5 million tons due to bad weather that severely damaged the quality of the harvest, according to Kazakh Agriculture Minister Asylzhan Mamytbekov. Kazakhstan's grain exports was over 8.7 million ton in the 2013/14 marketing year, and little over 7 million tons a year earlier in 2012/13. Kazakhstan traditionally exports grain, mainly wheat, to its Central Asian neighbors, as well as to China, Iran and Azerbaijan.

EBRD to expand SME support with €41 million from the government of Kazakhstan

(EBRD, 6 May 2015) Government of Kazakhstan providing 41 million EURO to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for technical cooperation projects, advisory support to SMEs and a Women in Business program, according to the ERBD press release.

As Kyrgyzstan Joins Russia's Eurasian Economic Union, Not Everyone is Happy

(The Moscow Times, 6 May 2015) The former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan is poised to become the fifth member of the Russia-driven Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) on May 9, but not all the country's residents are thrilled about it. The article discusses about the opposition and skepticism within Kyrgyzstan towards joining the EUU.

Meeting of Supreme Eurasian Economic Council

(The Kremlin, May 8 2015) The web portal of the President of Russia informed about the first meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council (SEEC) held at the level of the heads of state, where Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev also participated. Kyrgyzstan accession has been signed and awaits ratification, informs Russian President Putin.  Putin also discussed about Eurasian integration, closer cooperation in monetary policies, creation of common energy market and one-stop-shop business system, and international cooperation including possible Chinese Silk Road Economic Belt initiative.

Fish production increased by almost 1/3 in Tajikistan in Q1 (In Russian)

(Agroinform.tj, 8 May 2015) Despite depreciation of local currency, price of both local and imported fish products remain unchanged, suggests the article. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, national fish production increased by about 30.5% in the first quarter of 2015. Nonetheless, the article also states that in spite of increase in domestic production local fish products remain in average 30% more expensive than imported analogous products.

Cotton-sowing campaign nears completion in Tajikistan

(Asia Plus, 8 May 2015) Cotton farmers have sown cotton seeds on more than 162 thousand hectares of land, more than 90% of national planned acreage, according to the Ministry of Agriculture of Tajikistan (MoA). Experts from the MoA expect Tajik farmers to harvest some 400,000 tons of raw cotton this year. Last year, Tajik farmers harvested 390,000 tons of raw cotton from some 178,000 hectares.

Czech experts present shocking findings into Karaganda ecology

(TengriNews, 8 May 2015) Findings of environmental study carried out by Czech researchers in Karaganda Oblast in Kazakhstan, one of biggest and most industrial regions in the country, were shocking, according to the article. The list of most contaminated sites in Kazakhstan include towns of Balkhash, where the oldest iron and steel enterprise of Kazakhstan is located, and Temirtau in Karagandy Oblast, which was expected, but it was the level of contamination that shocked the regional officials, who promised to conduct its own investigation.

Kazakhstan reduces import, increases export of agricultural products

(The Times of Central Asia, 11 May 2015) “Last year, Kazakhstan saw a decrease in food imports, for the first time since the country’s independence. The [food] import fell by 6.2 percent, the import from Eurasian Economic Union countries reduced by 10 percent,” according to Kazakh Agriculture Minister Mamytbekov.  Import of beef reduced by 42.3 percent, egg import fell three-fold, potato import decreased two-fold. At the same time, for the first time the country is exported almost 12 thousand tons of meat and meat products, including 7 thousand tons of beef last year, the Minister suggests.

Publications

Millennium Development Goals Report: Uzbekistan 2015

(CER. 2015. Tashkent: Center for Economic Research (CER))

Description: This report is a joint effort of the Government of Uzbekistan and the United Nations (UN) agencies in Uzbekistan, and it aims to provide an analysis and assessment of the country’s progress towards the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) during 2000-2013. It also identifies key factors that have contributed to the achievement of the goals as well as highlighting the challenges the country will have to address in the years to come.

Urban-rural differences in psychological distress in nine countries of the former Soviet Union

(A. Stickley, A. Koyanagi, B. Roberts and M. McKey. 2015 Journal of Affective Disorders. Vol. 178)

Abstract Highlights:  This study assesses an association between settlement type and psychological distress in nine different Former Soviet Union (FSU) countries, including Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The study uses data obtained from a survey with 18000 respondents.  In a pooled country analysis, living in a smaller urban settlement or village was associated with significantly higher odds for psychological distress compared to living in the country capital, which contradicts findings from similar studies in Western economies. Moreover, the study finds that lower social support has a strong correlation to psychological distress in all locations except capital cities.