Imported produce currently determines vegetable prices in Russia - AgMin

MOSCOW. May 22 (Interfax) - Imported produce is currently determining vegetable prices in Russia, the Agriculture Ministry said.

"Last year's vegetable harvest is now almost all gone and shops are selling imported produce from friendly countries, which is determining prices on the market," the ministry said in a statement.

The Agriculture Ministry said that increasing storage capacity for vegetable produce would help Russia to become more self-sufficient and less dependent on imports. Producers can claim back part of what they spend on building and modernizing facilities and are entitled to concessional loans. "At the beginning of 2025, we had enough storage capacity for 9.2 million tonnes of vegetables and potatoes, 147,000 tonnes more than last year," the statement reads.

Managing partner at Agro & Food Communications Ilya Bereznyuk said that one-time storage capacity needed to be increased to 11 million tonnes to ensure more even distribution of vegetables on the market in future, smoothing out fluctuations in prices and stabilizing supply.

Potato Union Chairman Sergei Lupekhin said that Russia had begun importing produce earlier this year, which affected retail prices, but that the sale of field vegetables from the south would begin in June and from regions in Central Russia in July. "By the end of summer, Russian produce will make up all of our supply. This increase in supply will have a positive impact on price trends. Vegetable prices usually fall in the second half of a year, and that is what we expect to happen this season, too," he said.

Rosstat reported on May 21 that cabbage prices in Russia had increased 58% since the beginning of the year, potato prices 56%, beetroot 52%, onions 40.7%, carrots 31.3%, apples 13.5% and bananas 3.6%.

Beetroot prices grew 5.3% in the week from May 13 to May 19, cabbage prices 4.5%, carrots 4.4%, onions 2.5%, potatoes 1.7% and apples 1.1%. Cucumber prices fell 10.4% and tomatoes 7.6%.