Egyptian Potatoes Bound for Russia May Cost More as Shipments Shift to St Petersburg
Imports of Egyptian potatoes into Russia may become more expensive this season because cargo is expected to go through St Petersburg, says Tatyana Gubina of the Potato Union. She forecasts the commercial crop at 7.5–8 million tonnes.
Imports of Egyptian potatoes into Russia may become more expensive this season because of logistics problems, Tatyana Gubina, head of the office of the Potato Union, said on 27 October at the Agroprom Ural exhibition in Yekaterinburg, Interfax reported. At the same time, she expects a smaller domestic commercial crop, which puts storage capacity at the centre of the market outlook for the coming months.
Southern ports and a St Petersburg bottleneck
According to Gubina, southern ports are not currently receiving potatoes from Egypt. Interfax notes that this is her assumption (“we suspect”); the report gives no independent confirmation. “Potatoes will go through St Petersburg. This raises their cost,” she said, calling the city “a bottleneck” (quotes translated from Russian).
Lenta.ru, which also reported her comments, wrote that direct imports from Egypt have become extremely difficult because of serious sea-freight problems and that supplies may have to be redirected to north-western Russia, where St Petersburg is already loaded with grain and other cargo, so logistics could be strained there too.
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A smaller commercial crop
Gubina said the harvest in Russia’s commercial sector, meaning agricultural organisations and farmers, may fall to 7.5–8 million tonnes in 2026, from 8.5 million tonnes in 2025. This is a forecast, not a final figure. She noted that potatoes were planted on 273,000 hectares this year, compared with 280,000 hectares in 2025.
According to Rosstat data cited by Interfax, 5.149 million tonnes of potatoes had been harvested by 1 October 2026, compared with 7.225 million tonnes a year earlier. Interfax also gives vegetables at 4.5 million tonnes by early October, against 5.7 million tonnes a year ago.
The weather may narrow the shortfall. “October is much more favourable,” Gubina said, and harvesting is still continuing in some regions. Interfax separately reported on 23 October that the Ministry of Agriculture expects total potato production across all farm categories to be 3% above the five-year average.
Storage as protection against imports
Gubina pointed to a shortage of storage capacity in Russia; Interfax reports that she sees expanding it as protection for the domestic market against imports. “We need to think about our own potato stores,” she said.
Prices are already reacting to the tighter season. Lenta.ru reported, citing an earlier publication, that the average retail price of potatoes rose by 28.8% in early autumn, and experts quoted in the report warned that the combination of lower output and import logistics could push prices higher.
What this means for farms and the market
- Importers and retailers planning off-season supplies from Egypt should allow for longer routes, port congestion in St Petersburg and higher delivered costs.
- If import costs rise as Gubina expects, well-stored domestic potatoes may face less competition later in the season; keeping quality in store is what allows farms to benefit, so agree storage regimes with your agronomist.
- The storage gap remains a structural issue for the Russian market; winter is a practical time for farms to review plans for new or upgraded capacity.
