Reference Date: 04-March-2024

Average wheat output obtained in 2023

Harvesting of 2023 wheat crops, mostly irrigated, finalized in September 2023 and production is officially estimated at an average level of 443 000 tonnes. The good output is attributed to excellent yields due to favourable weather conditions, adequate supply of irrigation water and the use of high‑yielding seed varieties that offset below‑average sowings as several farmers opted to grow more remunerative vegetables.

Output of other 2023 crops, including potatoes, oats and buckwheat, is officially estimated to be above average, mostly reflecting the high level of sowings driven by strong local demand. Production of vegetables is officially estimated at a record level of 183 000 tonnes.

Cereal import requirements in 2023/24 estimated near average

In the 2023/24 marketing year (October/September), cereal import requirements, mostly wheat, are forecast at a near‑average level of 156 000 tonnes. For the 2024 calendar year, import requirements of rice, which is not produced domestically, are forecast at an above‑average level of 50 000 tonnes, reflecting increasing domestic consumption.

Prices of wheat flour at record levels in December 2023

Prices of wheat flour, a key staple food, were at record level in December 2023, following steep increases between June 2022 and July 2023. The high level of prices mostly reflects elevated costs of production and transport as well as the significant depreciation of the national currency in 2022 and the first half of 2023, which made imports more expensive.

Prices of beef and mutton meat, other important staple foods, declined seasonally in July and November 2023 as a result of improved market availability linked to increased livestock sales ahead of the winter. However, in December 2023, prices were well above their values a year earlier due to the elevated costs of feed and strong demand from China (mainland), the country’s main meat importer.

Livestock sector and herding population affected by severe winter in 2023/24

The food insecurity conditions of the herding population are expected to deteriorate in 2024 due to the adverse effects of an ongoing "dzud", a severe winter in which a large number of livestock died due to the lack of grazing resources or cold. As of 22 February 2024, an estimated 2 million heads of livestock, 3 percent of the country's total livestock population, have already perished during the 2023/24 winter season, negatively affecting the livelihoods of about 190 000 herder households.

Disclaimer: The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of FAO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

This brief was prepared using the following data/tools:
FAO/GIEWS Country Cereal Balance Sheet (CCBS) https://www.fao.org/giews/data-tools/en/ .

FAO/GIEWS Food Price Monitoring and Analysis (FPMA) Tool https://fpma.fao.org/ .

FAO/GIEWS Earth Observation for Crop Monitoring https://www.fao.org/giews/earthobservation/ .

Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) https://www.ipcinfo.org/ .