The Minister of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade, Alexey Bogdanov, pledged a "worthy, affordable price for domestic apples" this season. Bogdanov claims self-sufficiency in apples in Belarus this year, planning to allocate 23.4 thousand tons to stabilization funds for the inter-season period. He assures measures to preserve the new harvest, promising to meet domestic demand this year.
In the last three years, the share of Belarusian apples in sales has doubled due to price regulations and the requirement for large stores to carry 5-to 6 local varieties. Notably, popular Belarusian varieties like "Gala" and "Prince," traditionally imported from the EU, are now solely Belarusian. According to Bogdanov, prices for these "national" varieties are currently at "last year's level, and for some varieties, even lower," with no significant forecasted increase.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food of Belarus acknowledges the consistent shortage of Belarusian apples in the off-season, attributing it to the rapid depletion of stabilization funds. The ministry outlines plans to address the issue, leaving consumers uncertain about a shortage of domestic apples this winter.
source: telegraf.news