Because of the drought last year and large-scale imports, which discouraged domestic production, the price of potatoes in Serbia has increased 193% since 2021.

According to Guča-based Agro-Mobile company director Ratko Vukićević, cited by the BETA News Agency, the 2020 potato harvest set a new record, and producers used potatoes to feed livestock and threw them away, while last year’s drought caused a significant decrease in supply as massive amounts of potatoes were imported.

Vukićević mentioned also that, last year, around 50,000 tons of potatoes were imported, mostly from France, and this spring, around 10,000 tons were imported monthly, causing many to abandon production.

He emphasized that selling potatoes to large foreign retail chains in Serbia was extremely difficult and that the sale of the vegetable in these stores was riddled with corruption, with quality playing no role in their decisions.

Wholesalers sold a kilogram of potatoes for RSD15-20 in 2020, and a kilo of spuds cost about RSD50 (EUR0.43) the previous year.