**Clickbait Text:** "Shocking Potato Crisis: 43 Train Cars of Spoiled Goods Stuck at the Border! Discover how a simple inspection turned into a nightmare for farmers, leaving tons of ro...
Illustration: kp.kz
In mid-January, wagons carrying potatoes were detained at the border between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The official reason for the delay was a phytosanitary inspection.
As a result, these highly valuable tubers spent over 10 days in the wagons, freezing and beginning to rot.
In January, entrepreneurs from Pavlodar sold potatoes to Uzbekistan, and the cargo train was dispatched to the buyer. However, now 43 wagons filled with spoiled produce are sitting at the Saryagash station. One wagon alone contains about 68 tons of vegetables!
According to the sellers, the potatoes are now unfit even for livestock. They do not understand why the cargo was delayed for such a long time.
- The documents were processed in mid-January, before the export ban was implemented. There was no reason to delay the cargo for so long, - the sellers express their outrage. - The akimat asked us to sell this potato for 100-150 tenge. Although it is currently priced at 300 tenge per kilo.
In the Ministry of Agriculture, officials assure that the wagons carrying the vegetable cargo underwent the required inspections. There were no obstacles to their further journey.
- As of today, according to my information, the inspection work has been completed. The necessary information has been identified. Currently, there are no obstacles or barriers for the wagons to proceed. Therefore, the 43 export-oriented wagons can cross the border, - reported the Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Yerbol Taszhurekov.
However, there is no point in transporting this rotting waste any further. Representatives from five companies suffering losses have stated that they intend to sue the officials.
Recall that in mid-January, potato prices in Kazakhstan cities sharply rose to 455 tenge. In response to the situation, the government imposed a temporary ban on the export of the product and began addressing issues with trade intermediaries.