MOSCOW, August 1 The Russian market is fully supplied with berries and fruits, despite difficult weather conditions, moreover, the new harvest is expected to be at the highest level in five years, the Ministry of Agriculture reported.
In May, frosts swept across central Russia. The main blow fell on the Rostov Region and the south of the Central Federal District (Voronezh, Lipetsk, Tambov, Kursk Regions). According to experts and farmers, apples, pears, cherries, sweet cherries, currants, and strawberries were seriously damaged. Some farms lost up to 90 percent of their crops. Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev reported the loss of more than a million hectares of crops. Of these, about 850 thousand are grain crops.
«The Russian food market is fully supplied with berries and fruits. The products are presented in different price categories and are available to a wide range of consumers,» the press service of the Russian Ministry of Agriculture responded to a request about the situation with berries and fruits.
According to the ministry, this year, despite the difficult weather conditions, the gross harvest is forecast at 21 thousand tons of berries — «this is 5% higher than the average for the past five years.»
«Such a harvest will ensure a stable situation on the domestic market,» the ministry emphasized.