There is a potato shortage in Belarus: citizens complain, Lukashenko blames farmers and exports to Russia

An acute food crisis is unfolding in Belarus - the country lacks potatoes. The cost of the vegetable has increased by 10% from January to March alone. This is reported by Lemonde, writes UNN.

Details

According to the media, for several months, residents of Belarus have been complaining that they can no longer find potatoes in stores, although it is the main product in their daily diet. In particular, in the period from January to March, the price increased by 10%, reaching 5 Belarusian rubles per kilogram (1.53 dollars), and the potatoes that are still available are of poor quality, small and damaged.

This issue is important because potatoes are a symbol of Belarusian national identity. It is considered the "second bread" and embodies rural self-sufficiency. In 2015, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994 and likes to portray himself as a man of the people, was filmed participating in the harvest.

Against the background of citizens' discontent, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko publicly acknowledged the problem. He blamed the situation on mass exports to Russia. He also added that citizens want to buy products at low prices, while farmers, on the contrary, want to sell them at a higher price "to earn money, buy fertilizers and sow faster."

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According to experts, the potato shortage is largely due to state prices, which make its sale on the domestic market unprofitable. "Price increases were banned by decree," analyst Alexander Knyrovich told the independent Belarusian publication Charter97 in March. And what seemed simple on paper created tension in the domestic market.

Tensions on this issue have been growing in Belarus for several months. At a government meeting broadcast on television in February, Lukashenko accused his top officials of failing to curb rising potato prices. "You didn't do it and you will be held accountable for it," he said.

"It turns out that we don't have potatoes. How much has it increased in value? Can't we produce the required amount, store it in the basement, and then sell it? What for? Is it poorly stored? I warned you last year (2024,-ed.) about how to store it!"

Citizens turned directly to Lukashenko with complaints about the situation and the quality of the products offered.

 "Some people write to me here and say that the potatoes are bad," continued the self-proclaimed president of Belarus. 

On Thursday, Lukashenko called on people to be patient and said that the country was ready to "withstand a month" without potatoes. "We will survive for a month. But we will not be left without potatoes," the head of state assured, promising that the situation would soon improve.

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