Doctors in the context of COVID-19 strongly recommend eating more vegetables – they strengthen the immune system. But it is expensive to grow them, and it is completely unprofitable for small producers. As a result, prices for vegetables rise, while their consumption falls.
“Star” nutritionist, doctor of personalized medicine, professor of FMBA of Russia, doctor of medical sciences Margarita Koroleva argues that dietary fibers should dominate in the diet, and they are found in greater quantities in vegetables and fruits. In autumn, seasonal vegetables contain all the necessary components of a real natural “pharmacy” with high biological activity. For example, orange, red, purple vegetables and fruits contain a lot of carotenoids – natural antioxidants that tend to accumulate in the liver in order to gradually release them to provide us with protection. Vitamins, minerals, enzymes, phytoncides – natural antibiotics that suppress pathogenic bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa, will help us to strengthen the immune system as much as possible. Garlic, all types of onions, broccoli, asparagus, peppers, spinach, zucchini, containing natural glutathione, will not only add variety to the diet, but also support the elimination of toxins.
“Plant fibers provide natural detoxification of the body, removing toxic metabolites, often with pro-cancer effects, thereby supporting immune defenses and providing prevention,” says the doctor.
Meanwhile, now the consumer, looking at the price tags and their non-growing incomes, is forced to choose: buy him a chicken carcass or a kilogram of vegetables. And he often chooses the former. This, among other things, the head of the executive committee of the National Meat Association, Sergei Yushin, explained to RG the growing demand for chicken and pork as more affordable types of meat. According to Rosstat, from the beginning of the year to the end of November in stores, the price of carrots has risen by more than a quarter, potatoes – more than one and a half times, cabbage – more than twice. The price of meat has also risen, but not as much as vegetables.
Infographics “RG” / Leonid Kuleshov / Tatiana Karabut
Against this background, the already low consumption of vegetables in Russia is falling. According to experts from the Center for Industry Expertise of the Russian Agricultural Bank, the consumption of fresh vegetables in Russia last year was 109 kg per person, that is, 24% less than the norm recommended by the Ministry of Health. At the same time, in the first quarter of 2021, the Tinkoff Data research center came to the conclusion that Russians, with rising prices, cut spending, for example, on carrots and cabbage by more than 40%, Kommersant wrote.
The Ministry of Agriculture has repeatedly said that the reason for the high prices is bad weather this year: there will be about the same number of vegetables and potatoes in the organized sector as last year (5.1 and 6.7 million tons, respectively). But the problem goes deeper, experts say. More than half of vegetables and potatoes are now grown in personal subsidiary plots (LPH) by the population. And their production has been falling for the last 20 years. Over the past five years, the production of potatoes in household plots has decreased by 19%, according to the Russian Agricultural Bank. By 2025, if this trend continues, they will account for less than 50%, the bank predicted.
Without normal storage conditions, potatoes will last a maximum of February. But modern vegetable stores cover only 40% of the need for them.
The problem has two key reasons, says Tamara Reshetnikova, general director of the research company Growth Technologies. The rural population that grows vegetables in their gardens is shrinking. Accordingly, if we want to develop the production of vegetables in private household plots, first of all, we need to take care of the living conditions in the villages. And city dwellers who have summer cottages, if they grow vegetables, it is only for themselves. It makes no sense to sell them, because it is unprofitable.
Infographics “RG” / Leonid Kuleshov / Tatiana Karabut
And this is the second reason – the economy is not developing. According to the Potato Union, it costs 13 rubles to just grow a kilogram of potatoes for a large agricultural producer. But they will still need to add the costs of revision, storage, logistics, implementation, notes the executive director of the Potato Union Alexei Krasilnikov. In the wholesale potatoes now cost 28-30 rubles per kg. Profitability is not negative, but private household plots have significantly higher costs. Large farms buy the same mineral fertilizers and plant protection products in bulk and at a discount.
But the main thing is that the small ones do not have any opportunity to ensure the regular sale of their products. The Ministry of Agriculture promises to expand state support measures for private household plots that grow vegetables from next year. “But how to move products from every vegetable garden across Russia to a store is not entirely clear. It turns out that it will be necessary to work again through intermediaries who will buy products for next to nothing,” says Reshetnikova. And, for example, vegetables such as broccoli or celery are much more difficult to grow – there is not enough amateur gardening practice. Perhaps it makes sense to talk about the cooperation of small producers, experts say.
Infographics “RG” / Leonid Kuleshov / Tatiana Karabut
But there is another serious problem – a large shortage of storage capacity. In Russia, they are only 40% of the need. And without storing potatoes (not to mention such crops as, for example, kohlrabi), in a normal state, they will last a maximum until February. At the same time, modern vegetable stores are very different from those basements where they are usually used to storing potatoes in villages. Each vegetable has its own optimum storage temperature or humidity. Accordingly, serious investments are needed in the construction of such complexes, which will then inevitably be taken into account in the final cost of vegetables.
According to the director of the National Logistics Network Company (the main operator of the program for the implementation of the distribution chain in Kazakhstan) Mikhail Filippov, in order for the effect of such projects to be tangible, three main problems need to be solved in stages. The main thing is to provide access to the sales market on the part of agricultural producers. Now retail chains cannot work directly with farmers – there are no guarantees of volume and quality. Agrology centers must solve the problem of fundamental distrust between the marketing and the producer.
After all, such centers are not only storage facilities with modern technologies. This is a whole ecosystem of related standards, the centers provide calibration, packaging, delivery of products without intermediaries. Moreover, all information is available on a single information platform. The second problem that the creation of such networks solves is the lack of working capital. Now, because of this, farmers are trying to sell their crops faster directly from the field and, therefore, at bargain prices through intermediaries. But solving the first problem automatically solves the second problem, says Filippov. Once trust is established between chains and sellers, it is already possible to talk about forward deals, attract networks to subsidize the seed fund, etc. Following this, the third problem is solved – high yield losses. Because as soon as a sales channel appears and a financial problem is solved, agricultural consulting is immediately added to the work of agricultural producers, issues with the supply of the necessary fertilizers, the choice of suitable seeds are resolved.
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