According to the Potato Union, producer prices for potatoes in Russia have fallen by more than 60% over the past year. Alexey Krasilnikov, Director of the association, told Agroinvestor that the only crop in the “borscht set” to see significant growth this year is carrots. Despite planted areas and gross harvest remaining at average five-year levels of around 1 million tons, carrots have risen nearly 7% in just one month. Meanwhile, wholesale prices for other vegetables, including onions, white cabbage, and table beets, have shown a slight downward trend. Krasilnikov noted that while retail prices for potatoes and borscht vegetables have indeed increased in the short term, they are actually declining compared to last year. Carrots are down 1%, beets have fallen 30%, and cabbage and onions are 35% cheaper year-on-year.
Krasilnikov attributes the retail price increases recorded by Rosstat to the averaging of domestic and more expensive imported products, given current logistics costs. Looking ahead, the Ministry of Agriculture forecasts that planted potato areas in the organized sector will grow by 5,000 hectares this year (reaching 286,000 hectares in 2025), with a gross harvest of approximately 8 million tons based on average yields. However, Tatyana Gubina, Head of the Potato Union’s Apparatus, highlighted that the key problem for producers remains high volatility, with market conditions changing drastically from year to year. While producers could earn profits last season, they are now facing losses, which demotivates potato farmers.
