MOSCOW, June 30. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin expects that the new harvest will reduce food prices in the country, he said during the annual Q&A session on Wednesday
"There will be vegetable harvest soon. I hope that this will affect prices," he said.
According to him, the rise in prices for vegetables in Russia is associated with a shortage of production of its own products. "Last year we produced potatoes, for example, over 19 mln tonnes. This year there will be about 22 mln tonnes. I hope we have more than enough," he said.
The President recalled that such items are usually imported from abroad, for example, from Belarus or Turkey, "where the weather is warmer". "Of course, you need to look at the issues of logistics, how much it costs, taking into account delivery," he said. Putin added that vegetables and fruits are one of the goals of agricultural development. "They are still produced in our country in an insufficient volume for domestic consumption," he said.
At the same time, the problem of the internal provision of Russia with chicken meat or pork is completely fulfilled, Putin noted. "We even export a lot," he said, recalling that last year exports of agricultural products reached a record figure of over $30 bln. "This has never happened," Putin concluded.