McDonald’s looking for potato producers in Russia

McDonald’s restaurants in Russia are looking for domestic growers to supply them with potatoes due to the government’s policy on foreign food products. Previously the restaurants bought frozen potatoes from Poland, but are now looking to replace them with a local equivalent. According to a source quoted in the paper Kommersant, “Potatoes need to be produced in Russia, this is a natural result of the government’s policy of import substitution. The company (McDonald’s) is discussing this issue with the authorities in many regions, including Moscow.” Kommersant’s source also states that the potatoes used for fries in Russia’s McDonald’s restaurants at the moment are bought frozen from Farm Frites and McCain in Poland. Russia’s Potato Association President Sergei Lepehin said that domestic manufacturers can produce potatoes for McDonald’s but the varieties are difficult for them. “Russia’s climatic conditions are not suitable for the cultivation of the potato varieties necessary for McDonald’s French fries,” he said. Source: tr.sputniknews.com