Russian ministries to look at importing potatoes from friendly countries

MOSCOW. Nov 14 (Interfax) - Deputy Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev has asked the Russian Economic Development Ministry and Russian Agriculture Ministry to resolve the issue of potato imports from friendly countries to meet demand due to a lower harvest this year.

"I've asked the Economic Development Ministry and Agriculture Ministry to look at importing potatoes from friendly countries to meet growing demand for potatoes. But we realize that we need to develop our own production, and we will be working on meeting demand for the produce that we grow on our own fields," Patrushev's press office quoted him as saying during a visit to CJSC Prinevskoye, a leading outdoor vegetable and potato producer from the Leningrad region.

Patrushev said last year, 2023, was an absolute record for the potato harvest - more than 8.5 million tonnes were harvested. "And this affected the price, it was practically at cost. Despite the bad weather, the harvest forecast remains at 7.3 million tonnes in 2024, which is on a par with the harvests of 2021 and 2022. The price is also similar," he said.