Russia is experiencing an apple shortage, thus there is a need to increase production, stated the President of the Russian Federation during a meeting with the leader of North Ossetia.
North Ossetia hosts the largest apple orchard in southern Russia, covering an area of 1,500 hectares, yet the shortage of apples persists.
In early October, the Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance reported that due to May frosts in the central and north-western regions of the country, the current apple harvest would only amount to 30–40% of the usual, leading to a price increase for the product. According to Rosstat data, since the beginning of 2024, apple prices have risen by 12.83%. In terms of price increase, they are second only to potatoes, which have seen a 64.14% increase.
To lower prices, the government has announced plans to import apples from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey, Serbia, China, Belarus, Transnistria, and even North Korea. As of January—July, one of the main suppliers of apples to Russia has been China: over seven months, the country has sent 22,200 tons of fruit to the Russian market, almost three times more than the year before.
Source: www.moscowtimes.ru