Sharshen Chotonov, Chief Specialist of the Veterinary Service, Livestock Development, Pastures, and Forage at the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry of Kyrgyzstan, commented on the rise in meat prices on Sputnik Radio.
Chotonov emphasized that there are no grounds for inflated meat prices in Kyrgyzstan.
«We have 9.2 million hectares of pastures. No other country in the world has such a large area. Cattle graze on them for six to eight months. Furthermore, horses are kept on pastures year-round, and in years with little snow, they graze there continuously. As a specialist, I believe there is no reason for inflated prices,» he said.
According to Sharshen Chotonov, the rise in meat prices is not due to objective factors. He called it an artificial increase.
Prices are being artificially inflated. The export price of live cattle exported to neighboring countries serves as a benchmark for growth, the Ministry of Agriculture representative added.
«Now live animals are sold to neighboring countries, and based on export prices, middlemen raise meat prices on the domestic market. The problem lies with resellers who buy livestock cheaply and then, looking at export prices, set the same high prices here,» he explained.
Sharshen Chotonov emphasized that 65-70 percent of the Kyrgyz population lives in rural areas and is engaged in livestock farming, making the country completely self-sufficient in meat.
