Farmers deny Dagestan authorities' statement on frosts' impact on cherry prices
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Dagestani farmers, commenting on the statement of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic about the low yield of cherries due to frosts, noted that the harvest this year was good, there were no severe frosts.
As "Kavkazsky Uzel" wrote, prices for cherries in Dagestan reach 600 rubles per kilogram, although the republic grows this berry, Telegram users indicated, suggesting that the price increase is related to tourism. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food of Dagestan explained the high prices by a poor harvest due to spring frosts.
“The area of cherry orchards is only 2 thousand hectares, traditionally the republic collects about 22 thousand tons of berries, but this year the harvest was only a little more than 11 thousand tons. The reason for the low yield was the return frosts that damaged the stone fruit trees. The market quickly responded by raising prices,” the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of Dagestan reported on its Telegram channel on June 29.
At the same time, the department previously reported that the cherry harvest would be good. "There have been no natural disasters this year, which will allow us to get a good harvest, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of Dagestan believes," the Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper reported on May 15.
It is also noted that agronomists have developed new technologies that will prevent the negative impact of frosts on the harvest, as well as other unfavorable weather conditions. "Certain adjustments were made for individual varieties of cherries, as experience has shown that one cannot rely on one variety; there must be a varietal mosaic. This year, farmers are counting on a good stone fruit harvest, because the orchards that are being planted are beginning to bear fruit," the publication quotes Sharip Sharipov, First Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food of the Republic.
Farmers disagree with the assessments of the Ministry of Agriculture
Dagestani farmers commented on the situation with cherries in the region to a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent on June 30.
Dagestani cherries are actively supplied to Moscow, Rostov Oblast, Krasnodar Krai and other regions of Russia. In the republic itself, mainly local cherries are sold, said a representative of the wholesale and retail trading company Alisultan.
In Dagestan, cherries are grown mainly in private farms, said a resident of the Derbent district Rasim. "This year's harvest is good, we have not had any frosts. Cherries were bought by wholesalers directly from the garden, the average price per kilogram was, depending on the variety and harvest time, 300-400 rubles,” the farmer said.
He did not apply for state support, since, according to him, it is problematic to receive it due to bureaucratic obstacles and a lot of paperwork.
The cherry harvest was partially negatively affected by heavy rains, but there were no severe frosts, confirmed Magomed, a farmer from the Karabudakhkent district. "My cherry harvest was slightly smaller than last year, there were no problems with sales, I sold everything for an average of 350 rubles per kilogram," he said, adding that he never applied for government support.
As of July 1, a kilogram of cherries in Moscow in the Pyaterochka store costs 549 rubles (producer - Russia, without specifying the region). In Perekrestok, a glass of cherries (producer - Turkey) weighing 250 grams will cost 199.99 rubles (taking into account a 33 percent discount, while without a discount it costs 299.99 rubles). In Magnit, a kilogram of cherries (without specifying the country of origin) will cost the buyer 489.99 rubles. In the VkusVill store, a kilogram of Dagestani cherries costs 797 rubles.
Journalists expressed different opinions on the work of the Ministry of Agriculture of Dagestan
The authorities compensate farmers for crop losses only in certain cases, mainly through the agricultural insurance system with state support, economist Rashid Abakarov told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.
At the same time, according to him, the damage should be documented, and in the case of an emergency, an act should be obtained from the Rosselkhoztsentr commission for inclusion in the lists for compensation. "In the event of large-scale emergencies, direct payments to farmers from the budget are possible. At the same time, the authorities can compensate for the damage if the regional or Russian government recognizes an emergency situation - drought, flood, mass frosts," the expert said.
The authorities in Dagestan do not regulate prices for agricultural products, he said. "Moreover, there are no large agricultural production facilities in the republic that seriously affect the lack of agricultural products for the region's population," Abakarov believes.
Earlier, on May 12, economist Natalya Zubarevich reported in her Telegram channel that in Russia "peaches and cherries will become a deficit." "In the southern regions, frosts destroyed half of the cherry, apricot and peach harvest, as well as 12% of sugar beet crops in the country. Farmers call the damage significant," noted economist Natalia Zubarevich in her Telegram channel.
The statements of the Ministry of Agriculture of Dagestan and Zubarevich's assessments are quite objective, but the actions of the republic's traders look frankly speculative, says a Dagestani journalist, who gave a comment on condition of anonymity.
"In order to understand this, it is enough to look at the cost of cherries in Moscow and other parts of the country. In particular, in Moscow, cherries cost from 450 rubles per kg, and cherries brought from Kyrgyzstan cost 650 rubles. What prevents the authorities of the republic, taking into account the geographical proximity to Kyrgyzstan and other Central Asian countries, from establishing supplies of this berry to Dagestan? Thus, lowering prices and satisfying the needs of the domestic market? After all, in addition to tourists, it is the season for canning food, housewives are actively making compotes and jam. Therefore, I consider references to frosts to be an attempt to shake off the problem," the journalist believes.
Political scientist and journalist Alber Esedov told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that, according to the Dagestan Ministry of Agriculture, the price of cherries has risen by more than 40% due to their shortage.
"In this regard, several questions arise. Why, given the shortage, are Dagestan cherries cheaper in the markets of other regions, as local residents note, than in Dagestan? What is the work of the regional Ministry of Agriculture if a shortage is predicted and nothing is being done to provide local residents with imported cherries? This is some kind of nonsense even from a business point of view. The Ministry of Agriculture has one task - to inform the population about unprecedented and record harvests, and then explain why the prices are high? There are publications from last year in the information space, last year cherries in Dagestan were 330 rubles. There was also a shortage, probably?" - he asks himself.
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Translated automatically via Google translate from https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/412699