According to the deputy, local producers are unable to sell their harvest due to the influx of cheap rice smuggled from Uzbekistan.
She addressed representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture with a question about what measures would be taken to resolve this issue.
In response, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture Bakyt Torobaev emphasized that this matter would be brought up for discussion with the Border Service.
Moreover, he noted that Uzbek colleagues had, on the contrary, approached with a request regarding the possibility of exporting rice.
“This is the first time I am hearing about rice smuggling from Uzbekistan,” he added.
The meeting also reviewed information from the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry regarding preparations for spring field and economic activities in 2026 in the Kyrgyz Republic.
