Russia exported record amount of potatoes

In 2016, Russia exported a total of 230 thousand tonnes of potatoes, reports Interfax, citing data from the Institute for Agricultural Market Studies (IKAR). This is a record figure, and although, according to experts, it is not very impressive, exporting may become a solution to the country’s overproduction problem in the future. The main consumers of Russian potatoes are currently the eastern regions of Ukraine and Azerbaijan. The IKAR recalls that in the latest harvest season (July 2015 to June 2016), Russian potato producers achieved a record harvest. In 2015, according to official statistics, the country produced 33.6 million tonnes of potatoes, which is 16% more than the average for the past 5 years. The relative abundance of potatoes on the Russian market has caused a significant decline in prices in the first half of 2016. In this context, the industry has reacted by reducing the acreage. More