Potato shortage in Russia: even Belarus can’t help anymore

Russia is facing a rapidly growing potato shortage. According to President Vladimir Putin, last year’s harvest was below expectations and stockpiles are nearly exhausted. He openly admitted that the country is running low on potatoes, and even Belarus — a usual helper — cannot assist this time. According to Putin, Minsk has already “sent all its potatoes to Russia.”

In recent months, potato prices in Russia have surged, increasing by 52% since the beginning of the year. The main reason is a poor harvest: in 2023, potato production dropped by 12%. Imports from Belarus are also unable to stabilize the situation.

Additionally, due to a record-high harvest in the previous year and falling prices, Russian farmers were forced to reduce the area allocated for potato planting.

Putin even called on Alexander Lukashenko to negotiate additional supplies. However, Belarus has also reached its limit — all available reserves have already been shipped to Russia. As a result, prices have started to rise in Belarus itself, and the government in Minsk was forced to lift the 2021 ban on importing fruits and vegetables from the European Union.

“We are ready to help our Russian brothers. This is not charity — it’s fair trade and fair prices. We know how to grow potatoes, if we have the opportunity. We need to produce enough to supply both ourselves and Russia,” said Lukashenko.