Potatoes have become a bone of contention in Belarus

Belarusian trade unions reported that they were receiving messages “with questions about the quality and availability of some components of the so–called borscht set – potatoes, cabbage, onions.” Problems with potatoes arose in Belarus at the beginning of the year. Despite the fact that the authorities are taking measures, and Lukashenko personally calls for “another month to suffer,” citizens continue to complain. This issue has even caused an acute controversy between a popular TV presenter and a well-known social activist.

The situation with potatoes and some other vegetables remains tense in Belarus. The Telegram channel of the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus (FPB) “People’s Control” reports that the FPB receives dozens of messages about this. Citizens are concerned about “questions about the quality and availability of some components of the so–called borscht set – potatoes, cabbage, onions.”

It is reported that “trade unions are informing and working with responsible government agencies to make the necessary decisions on the issue of insufficient assortment of borscht vegetables.”

But it is not only the trade unions that are concerned about the problem. The State Control Committee (CPC) has launched “control measures on the availability of domestic potatoes in the retail network.” The KGC encourages you to call the hotline if there are no potatoes in the store or the price is too high.

“Inspections are carried out throughout the republic with the involvement of local authorities. Prices for potatoes sold by retail facilities will also be studied,” representatives of the committee said. And they promise to take tough measures when violations are detected, “up to and including suspending the activities of retail facilities.”

The problem with the availability and quality of potatoes appeared back in February. The first reaction of the officials was that everything was under control and the storages were full of potatoes in the right quantity and of the right quality. However, then the authorities had to admit that there was a problem.

In April, the government raised the “maximum selling and retail (wholesale) prices for fresh food potatoes,” and also extended the licensing of potato exports from the country for three months. This was supposed to prevent the export of this important vegetable abroad to the detriment of the Belarusian consumer.

However, this did not solve the problem. And Alexander Lukashenko was forced to comment on it personally, speaking at the opening of the International Exhibition Center in Minsk. The center was conceived as a kind of analogue of VDNH. Accordingly, it was rather strange to talk about problems with potatoes at the exhibition of achievements of the Belarusian economy.

But the president does not hide from uncomfortable topics. And he told reporters: “Recently, the government told me: “Alexander Grigorievich, don’t worry, we have a couple of tens of thousands of tons of seed potatoes – we will sell them.” I say, “Guys, I’m a historian. Remember, during the Great Patriotic War, people starved to death in Leningrad, and the seeds were saved so that later there would be bread. And do you think that in Russia and other countries where there is a shortage of potatoes today, tomorrow this deficit will be exhausted? No. He’ll be here for a few more years. We have seed potatoes. Let’s take another month off (who doesn’t like potatoes there?), and we’ll sow this. We’ll get ten times more than we sowed, and then we’ll sell it at a good price.” That’s why it’s such a cunning, maybe peasant plan.”

The President explained why everything did not go as expected, and how he would not allow this in the future: “And then I will call the governors and ask: guys, I warned you in the fall that it is necessary to create stabilization funds. That is, put it in stock to feed people. And what is it? Potatoes come first. An apple and so on. Where is it? Of course, the peasants need to get the money. If they don’t sell the potatoes and receive the currency, then we will have to support them from the budget. I would not like to. We have poor teachers, doctors and pensioners. This is also a lesson for us. I think this will be the last such lesson for the entire power vertical. We need to put the storages in order, put in as many of the best potatoes in the world, so that our people never suffer from this misfortune.”

Meanwhile, popular TV presenters react to the situation quite differently. For example, an ardent supporter of the president, Grigory Azarenok, broke down on the air: “Oh, seven rubles. Just eat and eat, and just whine about it.”

For reference, 1 Belarusian ruble is equal to 26.91 Russian rubles.

Azarenka was immediately rebuked on social media by Olga Bondareva, a famous Stalinist social activist in Belarus. She stressed: “A professional journalist could cover an issue of concern to citizens without emotion. With texture, not insults to the questioners.” And she added reproachfully: “And people won’t buy potatoes for 20 rubles, unless they work as a presenter on STV, because people don’t have such incomes.”

Economic analyst Sergey Chaly commented on the situation on one of the opposition Internet resources: “This is already an epic. First of all, people enjoyed shopping and recording videos. It’s really, I’ll say, terrible: potatoes 2-3 cm in size, green and cracked. But the Minister of Agriculture said that he went to the store and had potatoes. Yes, a little eaten by a wireworm, so what?”

And speaking about the president’s revelations at the exhibition center, the expert noted: “This is an absolute Soviet Union – an exhibition of achievements of the national economy. Well, in the same place, Lukashenko spoke about potatoes… Well, yes, that will be the system. When you don’t let people earn money, then you have to think all the time about where we would help someone – take it away from some, give it to others, but their well-being doesn’t grow from this.”