All Gone to Russia: Lukashenko Outraged by Migration of Belarusian Potatoes

Alexander Lukashenko called on the governors of Belarusian regions to urgently create a state stabilization fund in the republic in order to prevent food shortages.

"Have you forgotten how to grow potatoes? That's not true, we can do everything," Lukashenko countered in response to questions about the country's potato reserves.

He suggested storing potatoes, apples and other agricultural products in bins so that the shelves in local stores would not be empty by the end of the season.

"Guys, I warned you in the fall that we need to create stabilization funds. That is, put them in reserve to feed people. And what is it? Potatoes, first of all. Apples and so on. Where is it?" the Telegram channel "Pool of the First" quotes Lukashenko's speech.

The Belarusian leader noted that he understands the farmers' desire to make good money from selling potatoes to Russia, where prices for the product have tripled. However, he ordered that everything be done in moderation.

"If they don't sell potatoes and don't get currency, then we'll have to support them from the budget. We wouldn't want that, our teachers and doctors are not rich," Lukashenko said.

At the same time, he demanded that the State Control Committee inspect all retail chains in the country and find out where and what is missing.

According to Lukashenko's forecasts, the acute potato deficit that arose in Russia this year will not be remedied in the next few years. Therefore, the high demand for food from Belarus will remain.

At the same time, Lukashenko demanded a ban on the export of selected seed potatoes from the country. Instead, he ordered an increase in domestic sowing areas in order to provide his farmers with a reliable market for vegetables in the Russian Federation next year.

As NI reported earlier, against the backdrop of the resulting deficit, potatoes have become the most expensive product in the "borscht set." According to Rosstat, the cost of potatoes on the shelves of Russian stores has shown a record increase since the beginning of the year - an average of 85% , to 85.4 rubles , and compared to last spring, retail prices have soared almost fourfold.

Some analysts believe that one of the reasons for the potato shortage was the laziness of local residents, who have practically stopped planting tubers in their garden plots.

"In the early 2000s, statistics services recorded that 95% of domestic potatoes were produced in private farmsteads. Now, according to Rosstat, private individuals grow only 50-60% of potatoes. And 40-50% of the market is provided by farmers, farmers and large agricultural enterprises," said Alexey Krasilnikov, executive director of the Union of Potato and Vegetable Market Participants.

The shortage of local produce in the bins that formed this spring has led to the authorities being forced to import potatoes to the Russian Federation from China, Egypt and other countries. Despite the fact that the government has abolished import duties on potatoes, they are hitting store shelves at exorbitant prices that shock consumers.

There are practically no last year's potatoes left in the retail network. Young imported ones are sold for 120 and even 350 rubles per kilo! Meanwhile, in November 2024, potatoes could be bought for 36-40 rubles.

Analysts at the Institute for Agricultural Market Studies ( IKAR ) reported that after a record harvest in 2023, when 8.62 million tons of potatoes were dumped into the bins, only 7.37 million tons were harvested from Russian fields in 2024. If in 2023, against the backdrop of overproduction, farmers had nowhere to put the surplus, then in 2024, many, in order not to leave unsold products to rot in the fields, sharply reduced the area under crops.

As a result, farms of all categories dug up 17.83 million tons of potatoes in 2024, the figure was 11.9% less than in the previous year. At the same time, a significant part of the harvest went to the needs of the army in the conditions of the SVO. As a result, ordinary consumers did not have enough potato reserves by the spring.

Another important factor is the shortage of good seeds. In an interview with NI, the executive director of the Potato Union , Aleksey Krasilnikov , noted that last season the Ministry of Agriculture and Rosselkhoznadzor limited the supply of potatoes, including seed, to the Russian market. And their own seed import substitution program "stalled." As a result, farmers did not receive the required volume of seeds.

"A quota of 16 thousand tons for seed potato deliveries was set. It suited us and covered the market needs. But due to certain reasons, in fact, only 290 tons of seed potatoes were delivered from Germany. And this is hundredths of a percent of what is planted," the expert said.

It is possible that Belarusian President Lukashenko is well aware of the situation with potato seeds in Russia, so it is no coincidence that he decided to limit their export to the Russian Federation.

Analyst at the Institute for Comprehensive Strategic Studies Nadezhda Kanygina warned that the unresolved problem with potato seeds is fraught with a reduction in the harvest and, as a consequence, an increase in the country's dependence on imports of finished products, as well as an increase in consumer prices in our country.

“The lack of high-quality seed potatoes affects the growth of production costs, making the industry less profitable in conditions of low purchasing power of the population,” she noted.