Palaw Index April – June / 2026

Quarterly Report (April – June 2026): Palaw Preparation Costs Surge 29%.

The average cost of preparing palaw in Ashgabat reached 91.4 Turkmen manat in June 2026, up 29.4% from 70.7 manat in June 2025. The sharp year-on-year increase was driven primarily by higher beef prices. Compared with the previous quarter, the cost of preparing palaw increased by 12.6%, rising from 81.2 manat in March 2026 to 91.4 manat in June 2026.

Starting with this report, we will track palaw ingredient costs on a quarterly rather than monthly basis, as monthly price fluctuations have been relatively limited. The previous report covered prices in March 2026, while this report tracks prices in June 2026. Despite the change in reporting frequency, the main analysis will continue to focus on year-on-year price changes, comparing prices between June 2025 and June 2026.

Year-on-Year Price Shifts for Palaw Ingredients in Ashgabat

Palaw ingredients prices showed mixed trends in June 2026 compared to June 2025 on YoY.

• Rising prices: Rice saw the sharpest climb at 47.1%, beef continued its upward trajectory with a 39.5% rise. Sunflower oil prices increased modestly by 2.3% (see Figure 1).
• Falling prices: Onion prices fell by 31.0%, wheat flour declined by 6.2%, and carrots decreased slightly by 0.5%.

Meat Prices and Household Affordability

Beef prices in Ashgabat have increased steadily since June 2025, largely due to substantial livestock losses – particularly in the Ahal region – caused by drought, malnutrition, and disease. By June 2026, the average retail price had reached 100 manat per kilogram, up from 71.7 manat a year earlier.

The sustained increase in meat prices is placing growing pressure on household budgets. This burden has become more pronounced following the government’s decision to discontinue its longstanding policy of annual 10% public-sector wage increases in 2026. Over the past 12 months, the Palaw Index has risen by an average of 23.5%, while the minimum monthly wage remains at 1,410 manat, highlighting that food prices are increasing much faster than household incomes.

FAO Price Index: Global Trends by Product Category

According to the FAO, global food commodity prices showed the following year-on-year trends in June 2026:

• The Vegetable Oil Price Index rose 23.3% year-on-year, driven by higher palm and rapeseed oil prices, while sunflower oil prices remained broadly stable.
• The Cereal Price Index edged up 2.7%, supported by expectations of strong harvests and ample global stocks.
• The All Rice Price Index increased 3.2%, reflecting stronger demand for Indica rice in Asia, alongside weather-related concerns and higher production, transport, and marketing costs supporting non-fragrant rice prices.
• The Meat Price Index gained 4.0%, underpinned by strong global demand.

Methodology

Prices of ingredients in the Palaw Index are collected for 1 kg of onion, carrot, beef, rice, and flour, and 1 liter of cooking oil. Based on the methodology, in order to cook palaw for a family of four, we use 0.3 liters of cooking oil, 0.5 kg of onion, 1 kg of carrots, 0.6 kg of beef, 1 kg of rice, and 0.5 kg of flour in our formula. Please click here to learn more about the methodology of the Palaw Index.