Potatoes have become a rare commodity in Belarus. For several months, the residents of this former Soviet republic have complained about the lack of potatoes in stores, despite it being a staple in their daily diet. Prices soared by 10% between January and March, reaching up to 5 Belarusian rubles per kilo (€1.36), while the few potatoes still available are of poor quality, small and damaged.
The issue is significant as the potato is a symbol of national identity. Considered the "second bread," it represents rural self-sufficiency. In 2015, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, in power since 1994 and known for presenting himself as a man of the people, was filmed participating in a potato harvest.
The discontent is so high that Lukashenko publicly addressed the shortage before departing for Moscow, where he attended, on Friday, May 9, the grand military parade organized by his Russian counterpart and close ally, Vladimir Putin, for the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany's capitulation. Speaking at the opening of the International Exhibition Center in Minsk on Thursday, Lukashenko blamed massive exports to Russia. He emphasized that citizens wanted to buy products at low prices, while farmers, on the contrary, wanted to sell at higher prices "to make money, buy fertilizers and plant faster," reported the official Belarusian agency Belta.
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