Russian potato farmers are facing a severe crisis as record-breaking imports, primarily from Egypt, Israel, and China, have destabilized the domestic market and pushed many agricultural producers to the brink of bankruptcy. According to a report by 161.RU, nearly 940,000 tons of potatoes were imported last year—a surge driven by the government’s decision to zero out import duties on 300,000 tons. Nikolai Yuzefov, a farmer from the Rostov region, expressed his outrage, stating that while his own farm managed to survive, it operated at zero profit, and many of his colleagues have gone bankrupt. The situation is exacerbated by low purchasing prices, with farmers in Central Russia receiving only 15–17 rubles per kilogram in recent months, far below sustainable levels.
The crisis is deepening as major retail chains show a clear preference for imported produce. Alexey Krasilnikov, Executive Director of the Russian Potato Union, warned that some retailers have already notified suppliers they will stop purchasing last season’s Russian potatoes as of March 24, shifting their focus to young imports from Egypt. While Krasilnikov acknowledges that some import dependence is inevitable due to the biological shelf life of potatoes, he criticizes the current scale of imports and the retail sector’s priorities. He notes that a sufficient supply of domestic potatoes remains in storage to last until the next harvest, making the sudden shift toward imports a devastating blow to local farmers in key growing regions like Astrakhan, Krasnodar, and Rostov.
