For the second year in a row, Russia expects a below-average potato harvest. Drought in particular means that both yields and sorting are disappointing. However, there is uncertainty about the exact area.
According to the official Russian statistics agency Rosstat, the potato area has shrunk by 5% this year compared to 2020. There was also a decrease in the cultivation area. The Russian Ministry of Agriculture, meanwhile, reports that the area has remained unchanged. This amounts to 280.000 hectares for cooperative agricultural companies and 190.000 hectares for private companies.
The majority of Russian potato cultivation still takes place in private individuals' backyards. These potatoes are only intended for personal consumption and are therefore not included in the figures.
Finer sorting
With a total area of 470.000 hectares, the Russian Ministry of Agriculture has a total harvest volume of 7,2 million tons of potatoes. Last year that was 6,8 million tons. The Russian Potato Union expects that the 2021 harvest could be comparable to 2020, it told the Kommersant newspaper, which published an article writeef about the current potato harvest. The potato organization calls on retailers to adjust the delivery requirements for this season. This is mainly about accepting a finer sorting. Normally 80% is 55 millimeters or larger. This season, no more than half reach this size. Retailers must therefore accept potatoes from 45mm, the organization reports.
Persistent rainfall followed by drought has a detrimental effect on the Russian potato harvest. It is especially dry in the growing regions of Bryansk, Tula, Nizhnij Novgorod and Moscow. Irrigation is almost impossible anywhere. Potato cultivation has been under pressure in the country for a number of years. It is estimated that the area has decreased by 4 hectares in the past 10.000 years. Mainly due to persistently low prices. Smaller growers have therefore given up. According to figures from Rosstat, in the mid-90s the potato still accounted for 3,3% of the total Russian arable area. Now it is still 1,5%.
More imports
After a price dip at the beginning of this summer, the table potato price recovered in August from €18 to €28 per 100 kilos. Supermarket purchasing organizations tell Kommersant that they already accept a finer sorting, as long as there are no quality issues. It is expected that more and earlier will be imported this season. Belarus in particular is a major supplier of potatoes. The country saw its export volume double after the disappointing 2020 harvest.