Russia potato shipments down 22% in July

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By the end of July, Russian agricultural organizations shipped 123,500 tons of potatoes, 22.3% less than the same period last year, according to Rosstat data cited by Kommersant. Tatiana Gubina, head of the Potato Union, noted that this reflects only the first month of the season, which runs until the end of October. She said plantings are in good condition and expects final harvest volumes to exceed last year’s.

The decline comes amid a 2.3% reduction in potato acreage compared to 2024, totaling 986,000 hectares. If the downward trend continues, 2025 may mark the second consecutive difficult year for the Russian potato market. The Ministry of Agriculture reported that as of August 19, more than 630,000 tons of potatoes had been harvested, with the pace matching last year. In 2024, yields fell by 11.9% while acreage declined 6.1%, leading to sharp price increases before stabilizing later in the summer with the arrival of the new harvest.

Market participants say stability this year is being maintained largely through imports. Between January and July, Russia imported 857,000 tons of potatoes, compared to 440,000 tons in the same period last year.

According to Gubina, the increase in imports discourages domestic growers. Farmers face rising costs without the security of long-term contracts with retailers, which could ensure profitability. Retail chains often prefer imported potatoes because of their larger tubers, which further affects the position of Russian producers.

Meanwhile, government support for potato and vegetable growers has been reduced by 13% due to budget constraints, amounting to 3.7 billion rubles (US$42.3 million).

Source: Oreanda News

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