The Association of Peasant Farms and Agricultural Cooperatives of Russia (AKKOR) has sent an urgent appeal to major retail chains, including X5 Group and the Association of Omnichannel Retail Trade (AKORT), demanding an increase in purchases of Russian potatoes. AKKOR describes the situation as critical, noting that since March, retail networks have slashed procurement volumes from local farmers, causing prices to fall below production costs. This comes despite the fact that peasant farms produce over 80% of the country’s potatoes and vegetables. The association warns that unsold produce may have to be disposed of, leading to significant losses and inevitably forcing farmers to reduce planting areas in the current and upcoming agricultural seasons. According to Tatyana Gubina of the Potato Union, retailers have grown fond of importing directly through their own trading companies, leaving Russian farmers who stored their harvest until mid-season shocked to find that no one needs their product because chains have already “flown to Egypt and China” for supplies.
Last season, Russia imported a record volume of potatoes—over 930,000 tons—the highest in 15 years, compared to an average annual import of 230,000–500,000 tons in previous years. In the first months of this year alone, an additional 246,000 tons arrived, primarily from Egypt, China, and Belarus. The Potato Union notes that although imported potatoes are generally more expensive, retailers allocate up to half of their shelf space to foreign products, narrowing space for domestic potatoes and sometimes refusing local farmers on formal pretexts. The Union proposes mandatory contracting of potato supplies at fixed prices as a solution. However, AKORT disputes the crisis narrative, claiming that the share of imported potatoes has significantly decreased to just 15–18% of the assortment, and that retail chains prioritize working with domestic producers through agro-aggregators and agricultural contracts, offering customers up to 20 potato product lines across different price segments.
