{"id":140299,"date":"2025-05-28T17:06:38","date_gmt":"2025-05-28T14:06:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/140299\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"russia-potato-imports-from-belarus-halved-this-year","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/140299\/","title":{"rendered":"Russia: potato imports from Belarus halved this year"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

May 28, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> Russian media reported that potato imports from Belarus have halved since the beginning of 2025 compared with the tonnage imported in the same period last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The report comes as officials in Belarus struggle to explain away potato shortages. Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka said earlier this month that that farmers were selling their potatoes in Russia because of considerably higher prices there. He added that farmers needed cash to buy fertilizers and plant potatoes as soon as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Russia imported just 32,000 tons of fresh potatoes from Belarus between January 1 and May 25. That was a decrease from 63,900 t in the same period of 2024, Russian media reported citing Rosselkhoznadzor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2024, Belarusian suppliers shipped 201,200 t of potatoes to Russia, 60-percent more than in 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, Russia has imported 548,100 t of edible potatoes since the beginning of 2025, 3.3 times more than in the same period last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday, Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka instructed officials to help Russia with potatoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“There’s been a lot of talk, especially after the Russian president joked about potatoes at a conference,” \u0141uka\u0161enka said. “This is a serious issue for us. In what way? We know how to grow potatoes and must grow enough for ourselves and Russia.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We should help our Russian brothers. However, it’s not charity\u2014it’s decent money and decent prices,” he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday, the Belarusian government lifted a ban on the import of potatoes, onions, white cabbages and apples from \u201cunfriendly countries\u201d amid shortages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cabinet described the move as \u201ca response to the latest EU sanctions,\u201d referring to the proposed higher tariffs on agricultural imports from Belarus, approved by the European Parliament on May 22.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On May 8, the Belarusian ruler warned farmers against selling seed potatoes to consumers, although seed potatoes had been on sale at grocery stores across Belarus for quite a while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou remember, during Great Patriotic War years, people were starving in Leningrad, but saved their seeds so that they can have bread in the future,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said he had instructed the State Control Committee to investigate food shortages at groceries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also defended farmers selling food in Russia. \u201cOf course, peasants need cash. If they don\u2019t sell potatoes [abroad] and don\u2019t get hard currency, we will have to support them from the [state] budget. We don\u2019t want this. Our teachers, doctors and pensioners are not that rich [to afford potatoes at higher prices].\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In December, the government introduced potato export licenses for three months and in March extended the measure by another three months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year, Belarus\u2019 potato harvest was 22.5-percent lower than in 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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