The harvest is the second best in history, and prices are unprecedented. Bread prices are rising in Russia.
Bread prices in Russia continue to grow, despite the fact that the 2023 grain harvest—over 151 million tons of grain—is estimated to be the second largest in the country's history.
According to Rosstat, from January 2022 to October 2023, the average price per kilogram of bread in Russia increased from 63 to 73 rubles, including Sverdlovsk region — from 72 to 81 rubles, in Tatarstan — from 54 to 60 rubles.
В Rostov-on-Don Since 2021, prices for certain types of products have increased by 45,7 percent; the average price per kilogram of bakery products has exceeded 77 rubles. Wheat bread in the Don region has become one of the top three most expensive food products over the past year, despite the fact that Rostov region This year, the country harvested a record early grain crop in its entire history—15,4 million tons.
The strongest price increases are in the northern regions. For example, according to Murmanskstat, in The Arctic In December 2022, bread made from rye flour and a mixture of rye and wheat flour cost 104 rubles, and by the end of November 2023, it was already more than 114 rubles per kilogram.
According to experts, the rise in bread prices is not particularly related to the rise in flour prices.
"In a loaf of bread, the cost of wheat (flour) accounts for no more than 15 percent of its total cost. This means that even a third increase in grain prices would only change the price of bread by a few rubles.", - considers Editor of the National Agrarian Agency Inara Khalmeeva.
"The increase in bread prices is in no way connected to the cost of grain, particularly wheat, because it is at a minimum level compared to the previous five years.", notes Dmitry Rylko, General Director of the Institute for Agricultural Market Studies. In his opinion, bread is becoming more expensive primarily due to increased costs for energy, transportation, labor, packaging, and various ingredients used in baking.
To stabilize prices, the Russian government temporarily banned the export of durum wheat.
