The Rostov Region has harvested a bountiful potato crop this year, but local farmers are facing an unexpected challenge: a sharp decline in procurement prices. According to Nikolay Yuzefov, head of a major farming enterprise in the Semikarakorsky District and a potato producer, the purchase price has fallen from 38 to 30 rubles per kilogram. Speaking to RostovGazeta, he noted that at a recent potato-growing conference in Astrakhan, he learned that farmers across Russia are reporting similar abundance. With domestic supply covering all needs, there is no longer any demand for imported potatoes — a positive development for national food security, but one that has driven down market prices.
However, the falling prices come at a time when production costs are soaring. Yuzefov emphasizes that given the recent hikes in diesel and gasoline prices, the purchase price should be at least 40 rubles per kilogram to ensure profitability. He also pointed out a puzzling logistics issue: while his farm sells potatoes to buyers from many regions across the country, not a single truck from Rostov-on-Don has come to purchase his produce. Meanwhile, the city itself is being supplied with potatoes from central Russia. Local growers are left wondering why their own regional produce is being bypassed, and they fear that if prices continue to slide, potato farming may soon become unviable.
