Russia is facing a significant surge in potato prices, with costs rising by 52% since the start of 2025, marking the steepest increase among all tracked food products, according to the Federal Statistics Service. This follows a nearly doubling of prices in 2024, driven by a 12% decline in last year’s harvest due to adverse weather conditions, including spring frosts and heavy rains.

Retail prices have reached unprecedented levels, with potatoes selling for an average of 85.4 rubles ($1.05) per kilogram, and reports indicating prices exceeding 100 rubles ($1.20) per kilogram in some supermarkets. The sharp increase is compounding food inflation and placing additional strain on consumers.

In response, the Russian government has implemented measures to stabilize the market. In January, authorities authorized duty-free imports of up to 150,000 tons of potatoes, waiving the usual 5% import fee. The majority of these imports are sourced from Egypt, with additional shipments from China and Uzbekistan.

Agriculture Minister Oksana Lut expressed optimism about the situation, stating, “We expect potato prices to start falling. In July, we’ll begin harvesting our early crops, plus we’ve got ongoing imports from Egypt and Uzbekistan.”

The Ministry of Agriculture has also announced plans to expand the potato cultivation area to 286,300 hectares in 2025, aiming to increase domestic production. As of April 23, potatoes had been planted on 41,400 hectares, compared to 35,900 hectares a year earlier.

Industry experts anticipate that with favorable weather conditions, the upcoming harvest could help stabilize prices. Sergei Lupekhin, Chairman of the Potato Union, noted that increased profitability has motivated farmers to expand their crop areas, potentially leading to a retail price of 50–60 rubles per kilogram.