Russia: Retail Potato Prices Fall 3.4% in One Week as Harvest Advances
Key takeaways
- 3.4% weekly drop in retail potato prices on 15-21 September
- 3.1% fall in the previous week, 8-14 September, per Rosstat
- 26.3 roubles per kg producer price on 2 September, -12.3%
- 8 million tonnes expected in 2026, about 6% below last year
Why it matters
- For farmers
- Avoid selling all volume from the field at the seasonal low; store sound tubers and plan sales for the expected winter price rise.
- For processors
- Use the October-November price low to secure raw material contracts for the storage season.
- For traders
- Expect further weekly declines until the harvest ends; watch eastern regions where drought may lift local prices.
60-second summary
New-crop potatoes are pushing Russian shop prices down week after week. Rosstat data show a fall of 3.1 percent in the second week of September and 3.4 percent in the third, the steepest drop among vegetables. Farm-gate prices had already slipped 12.3 percent in a month to 26.3 roubles per kilogram by 2 September, while the average shelf price in mid-September stood near 83 roubles. The national forecast of about 8 million tonnes in commercial farms is lower than last year, yet the Potato Union sees no shortage, since central and north-western regions harvested well. Growers who sell straight from the field face weak returns, while those with storage can wait for the usual rise in winter. Buyers for retail and processing have a cheap purchasing window. Expert forecasts of a further 15 to 30 percent fall are opinions, not official projections, and regional prices differ widely.
Retail potato prices in Russia keep falling as the new crop reaches the market. In the week of 15-21 September, potatoes became 3.4% cheaper.
The data come from the federal statistics service Rosstat, as reported by Interfax and other outlets on 23-24 September.
The week before, on 8-14 September, potato prices fell by 3.1%. Fruit and vegetable prices as a whole fell by 1.0% that week and by 1.6% in the following week.
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Potatoes led the decline among vegetables on 15-21 September. Cabbage fell by 3.3% and carrots by 3.0%.
Farm-gate prices also lower
Producer prices started to fall earlier. As of 2 September, the average producer price was 26.3 roubles per kilogram, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, as reported by Vedomosti.
That was 12.3% lower than a month earlier.
The average retail price in mid-September was 82.78 roubles per kilogram, according to Yamal-Media, republished by the Potato Union.
Smaller crop but enough supply
Russia expects to harvest about 8 million tonnes of potatoes in commercial farms in 2026. That is about 6% less than the 8.5 million tonnes of 2025.
Alexey Krasilnikov, executive director of the Potato Union, said this volume will be sufficient for the domestic market. He said drought in eastern regions may affect shelf prices and quality somewhat, but not critically.
Irina Karapetova of the Financial University expects prices to fall by 15-30% from the level of late August and early September. Experts cited by Rambler expect the lowest prices in October and November.
Why it matters
Seasonal price falls are normal in September. The speed of the decline shows that the new crop is ample in central Russia despite a smaller national forecast. Growers selling from the field now face low prices. Those with good storage can wait for the usual rise toward winter and spring. Retailers and processors can buy at lower cost in the coming weeks.
Photo: Potatoes on sale at Danilovsky Market, Moscow (illustrative). Andrey Filippov / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
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What next
Experts cited by Rambler expect the lowest potato prices in October and November, with prices rising again toward the New Year and peaking by early summer.
Sources
- Interfax (Rosstat), 15-21.09 — https://www.interfax.ru/business/1118032
- Interfax (Rosstat), 8-14.09 — https://www.interfax.ru/business/1116480
- Ведомости (Минсельхоз) — https://www.vedomosti.ru/business/news/2026/09/08/1227118-stoimost-kartofelya
- Картофельный союз (Ямал-Медиа) — https://welikepotato.ru/kartofel-i-borshhevoj-nabor-zhdat-li-rosta-czen-na-urale-i-v-drugih-regionah/
- Рамблер — https://finance.rambler.ru/money/57068478-rossiyanam-rasskazali-chto-budet-s-tsenami-na-populyarnyy-produkt/
- ОДИН ИСТОЧНИК
Linked in this material
- Country
- Russia
- Companies
- Rosstat; Potato Union
