Russia: Putin admits there is a potato shortage
Russian President Putin has admitted that there are too few potatoes in the country. The shortage was caused by a disappointing harvest, which led to huge price increases. Nowhere is the potato as expensive as in Russia.
Putin has been boasting for two years about his country’s economic boom during the war against Ukraine. The tide has turned. In the first quarter of this year, economic growth shrank to almost zero, partly due to international sanctions and a lack of workers as many young people fled the country. That the president now has to admit that there is a shortage of a basic product is telling.
“I met yesterday (Monday, ed.) with representatives of various sectors, including agriculture,” the president said at a televised meeting on Tuesday. “It turns out that we don’t have enough potatoes.” He referred to ally Belarus, with whom Russia still trades. “I also spoke with Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko. He said: ‘We have already sold everything to Russia.’”
Russia experienced a disappointing potato harvest due to unusually cold temperatures and prolonged drought. As a result, the price skyrocketed. According to the Rostat agency, the retail price of potatoes rose by 92% last year. If we look at the price over the past twelve months, it rose by 166.5% compared to the previous twelve months. The wholesale price of a kilogram of Russian potatoes is currently almost half a euro. The global average is 17 euro cents.
Meanwhile, politicians are calling for measures. Boris Chernyshov, a member of the Russian State Duma, believes that the government should regularize the selling price of potatoes. “Potatoes are sometimes called the second bread,” the politician said. “Sharp price changes for such a socially significant product put a heavy burden on the budgets of millions of families.”
Fuente: nieuwsblad.be
