Monthly Price and Food Security Update Kyrgyz Republic, November 2012
In November 2012, the retail price of wheat flour increased by 2% in rural and urban areas on a month-on-month basis. This means that since June 2012, the price has increased by 56% in rural and 45% in urban areas, and an average of 50% across the country.
The domestic retail price of wheat flour in November was only 5% lower than the peak level of early 2011.
Milk prices continued to increase for a third month and are 22% up in rural and 12% up in urban areas on a month-on-month basis. The highest increase was observed in rural and urban Batken (53% and 52% respectively), rural and urban Osh (42% and 13% respectively) and urban Naryn (20%). The average nation-wide price is 33% higher than in November 2011.
The average retail price of potatoes increased by 16% in rural and 9% in urban areas on a month -on-month basis. The average nation-wide price is 21% higher than in November 2011.
Increasing expenditures on gas, coal and firewood during winter will put further pressure on the strained economic capacity of food-insecure and vulnerable households who already spend up to 61% of their household budgets on food.
Although it is difficult to predict a short-term change in food prices, it is unlikely that the cost of the average food basket will go down significantly during the next lean season, considering the observed trend of increasing prices during the same periods in previous years.