Potato crisis in Russia: why did the prices rise sharply?

The price of potatoes, one of the most consumed products in the Russian market, has increased sharply since the beginning of the year. This situation is primarily due to a decrease in the volume of potato production in the country, a decrease in yield, and a decrease in reserves.

According to the Kommersant publication, the potato shortage that began in the spring of 2024 has now brought the price of the product to a record level. At the end of April this year, the retail price of potatoes amounted to an average of 85.4 rubles (about 13,500 soums) per kilogram. This figure is almost 3 times higher than at the same time last year.

The increase in wholesale prices has a direct impact on retail prices. Since the beginning of the year, the price of potatoes in the wholesale market has increased by 85.2%, reaching 46.3 rubles (7,300 soums) per kilogram. Even at the beginning of May, this figure increased even more, reaching an average of 51.1 rubles (8,100 soums) per kilogram. This is 4.4 times more than in the same period last year.

The Russian organization "Rusprodsoyuz" also confirms this information. According to it, as of May 2, the wholesale price of potatoes was 47.6 rubles (7,500 soums) per kilogram, having grown by 25% over the past month.

Retail specialists are forced to work even at a loss in order to stabilize potato prices in this situation. According to Stanislav Bogdanov, chairman of the Presidium of the Association of Retail Companies, many stores are trying to sell cheap potatoes at prices lower than the purchase price, and therefore are losing about 2 rubles per kilogram of product.

There are several important reasons for the increase in potato prices. Dmitry Vostrikov, executive director of Rusprodsoyuz, points to the lack of storage facilities, rising energy costs, and a sharp decline in reserves as the reasons for the increase in market prices.

The Russian Ministry of Agriculture is also taking measures to address this problem and plans to increase the area under potato cultivation by 2.3% in 2025. However, this year, due to the cold spring, potato planting began late, which may delay the harvest until June-July.

Market specialists and experts say that this uncertain situation with prices may continue until the end of June or the beginning of July. It is hoped that at this time the new crop will begin to be harvested, and as a result, prices will decrease.

Meanwhile, concerns and dissatisfaction with the price of potatoes are growing among the population. Many families are facing financial difficulties in this situation and are having difficulty even purchasing ordinary consumer products.

Thus, the potato crisis is becoming not only an economic but also a social problem in Russia. It has become an extremely important task for the well-being of the population for the government and relevant organizations to find a solution to this issue as soon as possible. Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!