From the article:
Despite being in the off-season, produce prices have remained relatively stable, with February's annual food inflation at 7.4%, notably lower than the five-year average of 9.3%. However, prices for cucumbers and tomatoes have seen a significant increase, attributed to low domestic production and significant import reliance during this period.
According to the National Statistics Bureau, cucumbers rose by 14.8%, tomatoes by 8%, sweet peppers by 5.4%, and bananas by 3.8%. Currently, tomatoes are being imported from Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and China, while cucumbers are imported from Uzbekistan, China, Iran, and Turkey.
Aidar Abildabekov expressed optimism about a massive harvest from southern greenhouse farms soon, which is expected to lower vegetable prices.
Additionally, Abildabekov highlighted ongoing efforts to investigate intermediary schemes in the trade sector to curb price manipulation.