Turkmenistan is again experiencing a shortage of flour and bread in state-run shops.
Correspondents of “Chronicles of Turkmenistan” report that at the start of the year bread was delivered to rural state-run stores in Lebap velayat twice a day at 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m. Bread is now supplied only once a day, at 6 p.m. – 250 to 300 flat breads to each store.
One flat bread is sold at 1 manat with a limit of two pieces per household.Fights are quite common in long queues which form in front of the stores.
At the same time, shop assistants put aside flat breads for families of the local administration officials, a district police officer and for themselves, 5 to 6 flat pieces for each person.
A bakery in the city of Sayat operates in two shifts.Its capacity allows making 400 flat breads for each store.However, part of the local flour allocated for the bakery is illegally sold to individuals.
A sack of flour costs 550 manats whereas a batch of 10 sacks and more can be purchased for 530 manats per sack.In privately-owned stores flour is sold at 580 manats.
To compare, the cheapest flour produced in Kazakhstan costs 600 to 620 manats per sack.
Flat breads made from local flour costs 7 to 8 manats apiece in privately-owned retail outlets.
A 50 kilo sack of wheat can be bought at a local grain processing enterprise Gallaönümleri at the price of 110 manats. Private mills charge 10 manats to grind wheat. However, the flour quantity is smaller and the quality is quite poor. Bran, which is used as fodder, is made from the most part of grain.
The news outlet Turkmen News also reports that effective 15 October, 2021 the price for flat bread in privately-owned shops of Turkmenabat increased from 3-5 to 8-10 manats.
There is no flat bread in state-run stores and it is next to impossible to buy loaves of breads because of long queues.
In mid October bread rationing was introduced in Dashoguz velayat with a daily limit of one loaf per family member. A shop assistant makes entry in a special customer’s logbook by indicating the quantity and the date, according to the news outlet.
Radio “Azatlyk” also reports a deficit of bread in Lebap.Starting from early morning residents queue in front of six Turkmenabat bakeries.
Bread is made every two hours and those who have been unable to buy it for the first time need to wait for the second batch.This situation has resulted in a price hike for flour and bread in privately-owned retail outlets.
For instance, the price for a sack of flour can reach 700 manats.
On 19 October, 2021 Radio “Azatlyk” reported that “a week ago over 30 private bakeries in Ashgabat stopped making bread and pastries”. The reason is the absence of local flour in state-run stores and a high price of imported flour.
“Bakery owners previously purchased flour under the counter in state-run stores at 10 manats per kilo despite the fact that it was supposed to be sold to residents at 1 manat per kilo.
Entrepreneurs are now unable to buy cheap flour and it is not profitable to purchase imported flour at 25 manats and sell bread at 10 manats”, – a former employee of a private bakery says.The post Lebap experiences a shortage of flour and bread first appeared on Chronicles of Turkmenistan.