Shortage of potatoes in Russia because of the limitations of import from Ukraine will not become

Rosselkhoznadzor not expect any questions on the Russian market of potato associated With the introduced restrictions on import of this culture from Ukraine, said Last news assistant chief of Department Alexey Alekseenko.

on Thursday, the Rosselkhoznadzor has announced the introduction of June 16, temporary restrictions on import of food potatoes from Ukraine to the site of the Russian Federation. Major reasons were numerous cases of revealing of quarantine in the Russian Federation diseases of Golden potato nematode.


" Restrictions on imports of Ukrainian potato in the Russian Federation in reality is not for the Russian market of no importance. Because, firstly, Ukraine is somehow not the Main supplier. And secondly, if we assume a quarantine organism on its territory, it will lose much more. At the top we have to put our food security and the economy, " said Alekseenko.

Potato nematode, the source said, a very serious disease. Getting this quarantine organism in soil With tubers, cleanup, swabs leads To its sustainable infection. In the future in this area at least 7 years cannot be grown most species of plants.

According to Alekseenko, no shortage of potatoes or increase prices due to restrictions should not wait." Moreover, in the Customs Union we have the largest producer of potato - Belarus ", - he added.


Meanwhile, in the beginning of 2014, the Rosselkhoznadzor has threatened to impose limits on potato supplies from Belarus. As explained in the Ministry, it is possible to measure connected With the fact that the space of the Russian Federation from Belarus received the party of potatoes from the EU, the import of which 1 July 2013 prohibited. The reason is the attempt of import of products infested with pests, the lack of clean quarantine objects of agricultural plots for production of export goods.

After this, in the beginning of February, Belarus also introduced a ban on the importation of European potatoes.

in March of the current year, Rosselkhoznadzor said that renews delivery of seed potatoes from the Netherlands to import is permitted 17, 6 thousand tons of production. The Netherlands before the ban was the largest supplier of potatoes in Russia. In addition, in April delivery was permitted from Germany and Poland.

in connection With the introduced over the last year limitations structure of the largest suppliers of potatoes in Russia has changed dramatically. According Potato Union in the period 2010-2012 the main importers of potatoes in Russia were the Netherlands (588 thousand tons), Egypt (375 thousand tons), Azerbaijan (233 thousand tons), China (150 thousand tons), Pakistan (141 thousand tons), Israel (91 thousand tons), Saudi Arabia (89 thousand tons), Germany (81 thousand tons) and others.

From July 2013 and February 2014, As inform the data of the Union, the volume of imports of potatoes amounted to 182 thousand tons. Moreover, 75% of all deliveries were accounted for by three countries: Egypt (58, 3 thousand tons), China (54, 5 thousand tons) and Azerbaijan (23 thousand tons). Ukraine in the list of importers was only in sixth place With delivery volume 4, 5 thousand tons and a share in the import of 2, 5%. It should be noted that traditionally high in terms of supplies of potatoes in Russia is the period From April to July.

along With this, in the last few years, the import of potatoes steadily declining - From 1, 47 million tons in 2011 to 456 thousand tons in 2012. According to the information of Rosstat, the imports of potatoes in 2013 fell by 2, 8% - up to 447 thousand tons.


However, for nearly years, the potato is one of the fastest growing in the price of food.

For example, in autumn 2013 Rosstat noted monthly growth of prices for this crop in 30% and more, depending on the region. Experts explain this phenomenon by the consequences of Russia's accession to the world trade organization, as well As seasonal factors.

according to Secretary of the working group on agro-industrial complex of the Public chamber of the Russian Federation Alexander Chernov, in March of the current year the prices of fresh potatoes increased by more than 63% comparing With the same month in 2013. As explained head of Potato Union Sergey Lepehin, the rise in price is connected With insufficient volume of products produced in Russia - despite a good Harvest, not all the potatoes could pull out of the fields due to high rainfall.

Potato harvest in Russia in 2013, according to the information of Rosstat, increased by 2, 2%, reaching 30, 2 million tons. This year, in accordance With the plan of the state program of development of agriculture, is expected to increase to 31 million tons.

Potato Association, the content emphasizes that the potato market in Russia is Usually around 30 million tons. Food potato accounts for about 51%, i.e. presumably fifteen million tons, the rest - on seeds, feed and processing. Thus, the share of domestic products in the total-97, 5%.


sections: Politics