The Ministry of Trade assured that the major retail chains in Almaty have a sufficient supply of vegetables, made possible by direct purchases from Kazakhstani farmers, reports Kazpravda.kz
One of the city's retail chains has over 500 tons of vegetables stored in its warehouse, while one of its stores holds 7.5 tons.
The Minister of Trade and Integration, Arman Shakkaliev, visited major retail chains in the city, where he met with representatives of trade entities and discussed the importance of increasing the share of domestic products on store shelves. He emphasized that Kazakhstani products constitute a significant portion of the overall assortment in Almaty’s retail chains, particularly highlighting that socially significant goods, such as dairy products, hold a notably high share. For instance, 97% of dairy products on the shelves in Almaty are produced in Kazakhstan.
“We actively collaborate with Kazakhstani farmers and producers to supply our retail chains with their products. Almost all vegetables in major retail chains come from Kazakhstani farmers. An important step is also increasing the share of other socially significant products, such as poultry and vegetable oils, produced in our country,” the minister noted.
To further support domestic producers, the minister spoke about a number of established obligations. As is known, this includes the presence of special signs stating “Made in Kazakhstan.” A crucial tool for supporting domestic producers has been the legislative empowerment of the ministry with the function of state support for internal trade entities. This measure allows trading entities that have received state support to undertake reciprocal obligations to expand shelf space by 20%.
Now, at least 50% of the shelves must be filled with Kazakhstani food products, and at least 20% with non-food items, which must also be placed in visually and physically accessible locations.
“We have strengthened the requirements for the quality and display of goods to eliminate consumer deception. For example, products must be placed according to the principle of product adjacency: milk should not be next to dairy drinks, and butter should not be next to spreads,” added Arman Shakkaliev.
The minister also proposed organizing exhibitions of domestic producers’ goods in shopping centers in Almaty to attract consumer attention to quality and affordable Kazakhstani products. There are 11 major retail chains and over 3,500 convenience stores operating in Almaty, and these initiatives will help increase the availability of local producers' products on store shelves.