Russian President Vladimir Putin says this year’s harvest will help to lower food prices in the country. He explained that prices have risen due to a shortage of domestic produce and high dependence on imports.
“We are expecting the new vegetable harvest to have an impact on prices,” Putin said on Wednesday during the annual presidential direct-line event.
He said that Russian farmers produced over 19 million tons of potatoes in 2020, while the potato crop is expected to exceed 22 million tons this year.
Also on rt.com US demand for Russian caviar surges by 640%Putin stated that increasing production of fruit and vegetables is a high-priority task for the country’s agricultural sector.
“We are not producing enough fruit and vegetables to meet domestic consumption,” he said.
At the same time, he pointed out that Russian farmers are producing “more than enough” meat and poultry, allowing for more exports. Russian agricultural exports reached a record high of $30 billion in 2020.
For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section