Russia faces food crisis as potato prices skyrocket 166%
The Russian vegetable market is experiencing a crisis. Potato prices have surged by 166.5%, and supplies are dwindling. The Russian Ministry of Agriculture acknowledges that last year's harvests have almost depleted.
Price hikes for vegetables are particularly tough on consumers who rely on traditional dishes in their diet.
Drastic potato price hikes in Russia
The Russian vegetable market is facing significant challenges. Potato prices have soared by 166.5%. The portal warzywa.pl reports that by the end of April 2025, the average retail price of potatoes hit 84.7 rubles per kilogram (approximately $1.07 per pound), marking an increase of 27.9 rubles since the beginning of the year. Additionally, the problem is exacerbated by the depletion of last year's harvest stocks.
Due to shrinking domestic supplies, Russia is compelled to import potatoes from Egypt, Pakistan, and China. This situation has been caused by frosts and droughts that significantly reduced last year's harvest. According to The Moscow Times, Russian farmers harvested 7.3 million tons of potatoes, which falls short of the national demand of 8 million tons.
The Russian Ministry of Agriculture admitted that imported products currently dominate the shelves, further influencing price increases.
Problems with other vegetables
Not only potatoes but other vegetables such as onions and cabbage have also seen substantial price increases. The portal warzywa.pl reports that onion prices have risen by 87.2%, and cabbage by 56.8%. Harvests of these vegetables fell by 0.7% and 5.6%, respectively.
In mid-May, the average price of onions was 72.3 rubles per kilogram (approximately $0.92 per pound), and white cabbage was 75.2 rubles per kilogram (approximately $0.96 per pound).
Even beets and tomatoes did not escape price hikes—these vegetables became more expensive by 11.9% and 1.2%. However, the Ministry of Agriculture does not view this as a major issue, asserting that the increase in vegetable prices is lower than food inflation.
According to government data from Rosstat, from 2022 to 2024, prices of various products increased by a total of 31.7%, with inflation in 2024 alone reaching 9.5%.
The Russian agriculture department plans to reduce reliance on imports by increasing cultivation areas and expanding vegetable storage facilities. Currently, storage capacity stands at 9.2 million tons, an increase of 147,000 tons compared to the previous year.
"Potatoes should not be a luxury"
As early as April 2025, Russian politicians highlighted issues with potatoes. "Potatoes should not be a luxury; their price should remain stable," assessed the Vice Chairman of the Duma, Boris Chernyshov, in an interview with "Komsomolskaya Pravda."
The portal money.pl points out that the potato crisis was caused by exceptionally successful harvests in 2023, leading to a surplus of potatoes and insufficient storage space. Despite this, more vegetables were continuously imported.
"In 2023, we had a record harvest; there were so many potatoes that it affected the price, farms lost profitability," admitted Tatiana Gubina of the Potato Union, prompting many to switch to other products.
