Wholesale potato prices in Moldova have remained unusually stable since September, holding at around 4.5 MDL/kg (€0.23), even though potatoes in neighboring Ukraine are 25–30% cheaper, and prices in Poland and Belarus are almost twice as low.
The key reason is logistics. Potatoes are bulky and costly to transport, making long-distance imports economically impractical. As a result, Moldovan farmers face almost no competition from cheaper foreign supplies.
Moldova harvested over 200,000 tonnes of potatoes this season, at least two-thirds of which are market-grade. These volumes are sufficient to cover domestic demand until late February without imports. With supply and demand balanced, prices are driven mainly by consumers' purchasing power rather than regional market trends.
Retail prices, still more than double wholesale levels, have also been stable since September. Supermarket assortments have narrowed to two main varieties (white and red loose potatoes), while expensive imported packaged potatoes have nearly disappeared.
Even with winter weather setting in, a period that typically triggers price increases for staple foods, potato prices in Moldova are unlikely to rise this season.
Source: agroexpert.md
