In 2016, Russia exported a total of over 253,000 tons of potatoes, reports Interfax, citing data from Russia's Institute for Agricultural Market Studies (IKAR).
This is a record figure, and although, according to experts, it is not very impressive, exporting may become a solution to Russia’s overproduction problem in the future. The main consumers of Russian potatoes are currently the eastern regions of Ukraine and Azerbaijan.
The IKAR reports that in the latest harvest season (July 2015 through June 2016), Russian potato producers achieved a record harvest. In 2015, according to official statistics, the country produced 37 million tons of potatoes, which is 16 percent more than the average for the past five years.
The relative abundance of potatoes on the Russian market has caused a significant decline in prices in the first half of 2016. In this context, the industry has reacted by reducing acreage.
Meanwhile, the situation for the so-called Borshchov vegetables (carrots, cabbage, onions and beets) was more positive than with potatoes in the first half of 2016, as pointed out by the IKAR; therefore, many Russian growers devoted to these crops decided to continue to be committed to them. The result was a clear oversupply and record low prices.
Experts predict that in the first half of 2017 the situation in the Russian vegetable market will likely be as severe as with potatoes in the spring of 2016.
Source: Fresh Plaza