Cucumbers, a staple in Russian kitchens, have become the latest food item to see sharp price increases, with consumers dubbing them “golden" as costs soar across the country, Reuters reported.
Official data show cucumber prices have doubled since December, reaching an average of just over 300 roubles ($3.91) per kilogram. On social media, shoppers have posted images of cucumbers selling at even higher rates, and in some cases more than double or triple the official average, according to Reuters.
The spike has drawn attention from politicians and regulators. Under pressure from lawmakers, including members of the ruling United Russia party ahead of parliamentary elections, Russia’s anti-monopoly watchdog has written to producers and retailers seeking explanations for the surge, Reuters reported.
“This winter, a new ‘delicacy’ has appeared in our shops – cucumbers," Sergei Mironov, parliamentary leader of the Just Russia party, said, as quoted by Reuters. He criticised the Agriculture Ministry’s explanation that the increase was seasonal. “They used the same explanation for last year’s ‘golden’ potatoes, and now it’s ‘gilded’ cucumbers," he said, adding, “What are people supposed to do? Just accept that they can’t afford the most basic foods?"
Producers have assured consumers that prices are likely to ease when warmer weather arrives next month. While authorities have previously intervened to address food price spikes, Reuters noted that the current rise coincides with a broader 2.1% increase in prices since the start of the year, partly linked to higher value-added tax.
With Russia’s central bank forecasting inflation of up to 5.5% this year, public frustration over rising utility bills, fuel costs and grocery prices has grown. Reuters reported that some supermarkets in Siberia have begun limiting the quantity of cucumbers shoppers can purchase, while one widely read newspaper distributed seeds to encourage readers to grow their own.
Though some opposition parties have suggested capping retail mark-ups on essential goods, a lawmaker from the ruling party downplayed concerns on social media, stating that prices would fall and that Russia remained self-sufficient in cucumbers. However, online responses reflected mounting anger.
“The prices for cucumbers and tomatoes are outrageous," one commenter wrote, adding, “Once upon a time they said eggs were ‘golden’… Now it’s cucumbers that are golden."
Source: World News in news18.com, World Latest News, World News
