Izvestia: The Ministry of Agriculture is going to increase purchases of potatoes in the CIS due to a possible shortage 
Russia is going to buy more potatoes from the CIS countries to get goods at a lower price than from distant Pakistan and Egypt, and to cope with the shortage of vegetables, which is possible by the spring. Izvestia writes about this on Thursday, November 18 with reference to the report of the Ministry of Agriculture to the government.
The document, signed by the deputy head of the department, Oksana Lut, dated October 28 and November 1, warns of possible problems with the potato harvest this year due to bad weather. So, despite the active phase of the harvesting campaign, the prices of farmers are growing instead of the traditional decline: at the end of October, the cost of this vegetable reached 23 rubles per kilogram, which is 71.4 percent higher than the same period last year.
As noted in the letter, the specialists of the Ministry of Agriculture, together with colleagues from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, are working to form relations with suppliers from the CIS. Trade networks are also included in this process. Potatoes from the CIS will replace imported products from non-CIS countries, which will stabilize the situation with prices, the ministry points out.
In addition, the ministry, together with the regions, is building work to collect vegetables and potatoes grown in the gardens of citizens. These products are also planned to be sold to meet the needs of the population.
The press service of the Ministry of Agriculture told the publication that a project for the purchase of vegetables in the CIS countries instead of far abroad is being developed on behalf of President Vladimir Putin. This will reduce prices on the domestic market in the off-season (winter-spring). At the same time, the department noted that 6.6 million tons of potatoes have already been harvested, which corresponds to the level of 2020 and will meet the domestic needs of the country.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade told the newspaper that they are working on the issue of expanding cooperation between retail chains with suppliers and producers of the CIS for the supply of vegetables of the “borsch set” to Russia during the period when the stocks of the crop of its own production are reduced.
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The head of the Fruit and Vegetable Union Mikhail Glushkov, in an interview with the publication, noted that the quality of the potatoes harvested this year is low: it is smaller and excessively moisturized, which will shorten its shelf life and the reserves will run out earlier. According to him, the harvest will be enough for the winter and spring, but it is not known when it will be necessary to carry out additional purchases in other countries at higher prices. At the same time, Glushkov pointed out the problem associated with the purchase of potatoes from the population, since the law prohibits citizens from growing products for sale, this can only be done for their own needs.
On November 17, the Central Bank again warned about the risks of a sharp rise in prices for food in 2022. At the beginning of the month, the regulator already predicted an increase in food inflation in the first half of 2022. The Central Bank noted an unsuccessful harvest, due to which the output of agricultural products was reduced. According to Rosstat, in October the cost of food products increased by 10.89 percent in annual terms. Cucumbers rose in price by 48.7 percent, tomatoes – by 43.8 percent, potatoes – by 15.5 percent.