Potato prices in Armenia are up due to excess exports, according to former Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Armenia, Harutyunyan. Every year, farmers left some potatoes for the next spring: some as seed potatoes, some for sale in the spring to meet the demand of the population. However, so much was exported last year that there was almost none left for early spring, Harutyunyan added.
“The Ministry of Economy reported record potato exports of 35-40 tons, but this export also had a side effect that we all have to experience now: in the absence of potatoes, prices for it have risen sharply,” Harutyunyan stated. Diesel fuel, day labor prices (due to general inflation), and fertilizer prices have risen in price. All this increases the cost of field work, and hence the price of this year's potatoes, Harutyunyan added.
According to the National Statistics Committee, the price of potatoes in May 2022 doubled as compared to May 2021 (by 101.5%).
Source: en.potatosystem.ru