Central Asian countries may face a sugar shortage as Russia has suspended the export of the commodity as a precautionary measure.
The Russian government has announced extending the ban on the export of sugar to fellow members of a trading bloc till the August end.
We have sufficient stock of commodities including sugar but it is necessary to maintain food security in the country, said the Economic Development Ministry on March 10.
The ban on sugar export would affect Kazakhstan the most as the country’s sugar output has been affected due to drought. The sugar output in the country has been lowered this season and the country imports two-thirds of the sugar to meet the domestic need. Half of the imported sugar comes from Russia. It also procures sugar from Belarus which is also facing sanctions due to the Russia-Ukraine war. The officials have stated that the country has sugar stocks that can last for only three months.
