For the year, producer prices increased by 15-20%. By October 3, in Russia, potatoes were dug from 211,8 thousand hectares, which is 69,5% of the planted area, the Ministry of Agriculture reports. In 2017, at this date, the tuber was harvested from 202,2 thousand ha.
Its gross harvest now amounts to 4,9 million tons, while last year it was at the level of 4,8 million tons. According to the forecasts of the Potato Union, the agricultural crop will be slightly higher this season than last year.
The reason is the increase in the area under it: according to the agro-agency, the planting of potatoes in the commodity sector this year amounted to 304,8 thousand hectares compared to 300 thousand hectares in 2017.
However, due to adverse weather conditions during the growing season, the yield is lower than last season, emphasizes the Executive Director of the Union Alexei Krasilnikov.
“At the same time, although the number of tubers from one plant is on average less, they themselves are larger than they were a year earlier,” he said.
This year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, the average potato yield is 233,5 c / ha against 236,4 c / ha in 2017. “The reasons for its decline are both periods of excessive moisture and soil droughts,” the Rossiyskaya Gazeta told earlier. about. Director of the Hydrometeorological Center Dmitry Kiktev.
Potato prices, according to Krasilnikov, go up. “If in mid-August and early September, the cost of agriculture amounted to 5–7 thousand rubles / t, then by the beginning of October it had already increased to 10–12 thousand rubles / t,” the expert notes.
In general, producer prices for potatoes are now 15-20% higher than in the same period of the previous year, and most likely their growth will continue, he said.
Consumer prices on average in Russia are in the corridor of 20-25 rubles / kg and over the past week decreased by 4%, and in September - by 18%. Although in general for the year their growth amounted to 7%. “It is possible that in the coming weeks the drop in retail will continue due to the fact that some retailers will conduct seasonal promotions, but in the future we expect a return to their current positions,” Krasilnikov said.
The Potato Union also predicts a certain increase in prices for planting material for the season 2019/20. Foreign seeds will rise in price due to drought in the main supplying regions - Germany and Holland: offers will be less, respectively, and its cost will be higher. “Prices for domestic potato seeds will also increase due to the rise in price of oil products,” Krasilnikov said.
The expert suggests that imports of agricultural crops in the season 2018/2019 will be 10% lower than the past, however, it will be possible to speak in more detail about its volumes only after the end of the harvest.
Source: http://www.agroinvestor.ru