Why onion prices rose in Surkhandarya: the Ministry of Agriculture names the reasons and seasonal reserves

What happened and what the ministry said in response

In recent days, social media and news outlets have circulated reports about rising onion prices in Surkhandarya region. The Ministry of Agriculture commented on the situation, citing three groups of factors: the seasonal nature of production, the cost of delivery from other regions (including high prices for fuel and lubricants and transport and logistics services), and the markups of middlemen, which, according to the ministry, reach 25–50%. The explanation was published on the ministry's website and reported by the outlets Zamon.uz and UzNews.uz.

Why onions are brought in from other regions

According to the ministry, the soil and climate conditions of Surkhandarya are suitable for growing onions mainly in the early season — in April and May, while late onions of autumn planting are not grown on large areas due to the negative effect of summer temperatures. The entire 2026 onion harvest in the region has already been gathered from the fields, so entrepreneurs are supplying onions from Jizzakh and Samarkand regions. In the first nine months of the year, Surkhandarya grew 387.1 thousand tonnes of onions: 120 thousand tonnes went to domestic consumption, 46 thousand tonnes were exported, and the rest was supplied to other regions of the republic.

How the price is formed

The purchase price from farmers is 2,600–3,300 soums per kg in Jizzakh region and 2,800–3,000 soums in Samarkand region. Delivering a kilogram of cargo to Surkhandarya costs 350–370 soums (transporting 20 tonnes costs up to 7 million soums, 10 tonnes up to 3.8–4 million). The retail price in the region's markets is currently around 4,000–4,500 soums per kg. According to the ministry's analysis, the difference between the cost including delivery and the selling price in some cases reaches 1,550 soums, or 52.5%. The outlets differ on the details here: UzNews.uz additionally cites a minimum difference of 350 soums (9.6%) and breaks down the delivery cost by region of origin — 2,950–3,650 soums from Jizzakh and 3,150–3,350 soums from Samarkand region — whereas Zamon.uz gives a single range of 2,950–3,650 soums. For comparison: from November 2025 to October 2026, the average retail price of onions nationwide was 2,552 soums per kilogram.

Reserves and a warning against speculation

In 2026, the country plans to grow 1.5 million tonnes of onions — 400 thousand tonnes, or 35%, more than the population's needs calculated according to medical standards. For the 2026–2027 winter-spring season, a reserve of 102.8 thousand tonnes is being formed in the regions, of which 2,750 tonnes are allocated to Surkhandarya region. The ministry announced the possibility of releasing onions from the reserve onto the domestic market and selling them at reduced prices through special retail outlets. The ministry also warned those 'attempting to artificially raise onion prices through speculative actions' and noted that holding back produce in anticipation of a higher price is economically unwise: during long storage, onions lose weight and quality, which can lead to losses. UzNews.uz additionally names another factor driving demand and prices — a belief widespread among the population that 'the onions have ripened, they are cheap now, so it is worth stocking up for future use.'