Media: Potato Dispute Pits Putin And Lukashenko Against Each Other

This topic is likely to generate a lot of debate in the coming months.

In recent months, Belarusians have been concerned about the sharp rise in potato prices in the country, and this topic has caused heated discussions in social networks. Many foreign media paid attention to the problem. Including one from Uzbekistan.

The price of potatoes, known as the country's "second bread," has risen from €0.3-0.4 per kilogram to €1.4. This is a colossal change for a country that produces millions of tons of potatoes every year, writes zamin.uz.

The rise in potato prices has not only affected the daily lives of ordinary people, but also caused tensions between Putin and Lukashenko.

In early May this year, Alexander Lukashenko admitted that the country was facing a potato shortage, blaming local farmers in particular. Lukashenko also began blaming the neighboring country, noting that potatoes, one of the country's main exports, were being sold to Russia in excessive quantities.

Belarus is indeed one of the main exporters of potatoes to Russia. In 2024, the country sold more than 170,000 tons of potatoes to Russia. However, this trade has also led to a deficit in Belarus' domestic market.

A similar situation can be observed in Russia. On May 26, Putin at a meeting with entrepreneurs drew attention to the potato problem in the country and proposed to further increase the purchase of potatoes from Belarus. At the time, when Putin's deputy chief of staff Maksim Oreshkin said that Belarus also had no potato stocks, Putin could not hide his surprise.

Since then, Lukashenko has changed his position. A few days ago, during a visit to Brest Oblast, he appealed to farmers to increase potato planting to improve the situation. He also recommended ordinary people to plant potatoes on their plots.

It seems that the potato issue has acquired not only economic but also geopolitical significance for Belarus. Lukashenko even agreed to lift the ban on imports of fruits and vegetables from the European Union, which was previously called "the enemy", to alleviate the situation.

According to experts, a significant decline in potato production this year was due to a sharp rise in the cost of agricultural products. Rising prices for fuel, fertilizers, machinery and workers' salaries have created serious problems for farmers. In addition, cold weather has had a negative impact on the decline in yields. In addition, the lack of warehouses for potato storage and the state-imposed prices for the products also cause great harm to farmers' activities.

With potato prices on the rise, Belarus has imposed strict controls on potato exports, especially to Russia, at its borders. The country is trying to stabilize the situation on the domestic market.

In short, the potato issue in Belarus has become not only an internal economic issue, but also a geopolitical one, affecting the relationship between Putin and Lukashenko. This topic is likely to generate a lot of political debate in the coming months.

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