In response to Kazakhstan’s ban on grain exports until September 2008, Tajikistan is looking for new suppliers, the head of the Tajik Customs Service, Gurez Zaripov, has said. Before the ban, up to 98% of Tajik grain imports came from Kazakhstan.

Mr Zaripov hopes that grain will still be supplied by Kazakhstan if the governments of the two countries sign an agreement on this. If not, Tajikistan is already considering wheat imports from Canada and Australia through Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Tajikistan plans to import up to 900,000 tonnes of grain for domestic consumption as well as to fill state reserves. Tajikistan’s annual consumption is 1.5m-1.6m tonnes of grain while it harvests just over 920,000 tonnes.

Kazakhstan’s ban will affect other Central Asian countries as well, including Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan. We believe that Kazakhstan should continue supplies of grain to these countries, although the Kazakh authorities say that Kazakhstan has limited grain for export. It should not let down its neighbours because the grain issue may complicate other problems in the region, for example, water and energy issues.