Kuzbass Processes Nearly 40% of Its Potato Harvest into Chips, Dominating Siberian Exports

Kuzbass has solidified its position as Siberia’s leading exporter of potato chips, driven by a sharp increase in local processing capacity. In 2025, the region exported 5,500 tons of chips valued at 2.2 billion rubles, accounting for a staggering 93.5% of the total monetary value of chip exports from all of Siberia. The processing is concentrated at two key enterprises: OOO “KDV Yashkino,” which manufactures the chips, and SPZSK “Sibirsky Rostok,” which specializes in potato cleaning and vacuum packaging. To fuel this output, the region now directs between 40,000 and 50,000 tons of potatoes to processing facilities annually. The share of the harvest being processed has grown significantly, leaping from 29.7% in 2024 to 39.3% in 2025.

Despite the booming export figures and increased processing volumes, the economic impact on the regional budget remains unclear. In response to an inquiry from the publication Kuznitsa, the regional Ministry of Agriculture stated that it does not maintain estimated data on tax revenues generated by the potato processing sector. While this lack of fiscal data leaves a gap in understanding the full economic picture, the sharp rise in the processing share highlights a strategic shift from exporting raw potatoes to producing high-value-added products.