Russian winter crops are failing at an “unprecedented” rate, provoking fears that food prices could spiral out of control and lead to social unrest.
Russian consumers have already seen major spikes in prices for basic food staples over the summer and autumn.
Prices for potatoes have soared by a staggering 78%, while those for cabbage, beetroots and butter have also jumped by between 27 and 31%.
However, the situation looks set to get worse for hard-pressed Russian consumers, with farmers facing a record loss of winter crops.
The Russian analytical centre ProZerno reported that the share of poor and unsprouted winter crops for the 2025 harvest was at 38%.
The researchers, who examined data from the Hydro Meteorological Centre, described the number as “an unprecedentedly huge value”, adding the situation had “never been this bad”.
“In Russia as a whole (excluding new regions), only 5.48 million hectares of winter crops are in good condition; this is the smallest amount of good crops before entering winter in the last 23 years,” they wrote.
Russia’s Central Federal District is the worst affected, with almost two-thirds of crops failing to sprout or in poor condition.
In the Southern Federal District (SFD), almost half of winter crops (44%) are classified as “poor.”
The situation is only slightly better in the North Caucasus and the Volga region: 29.2% and 14.1%, respectively.
The ProZerno analysts blamed the droughts that hit the country over the summer and autumn for the current dire prognosis.
Some regions of Russia saw no rainfall between April and October, and a state of emergency was introduced in at least five areas.
The drought followed heavy frosts in May, which wiped out almost 10% of the grain harvest and up to 25% of vegetables.
According to Russia’s Statistical Agency Rosstat, food price inflation stands at 10.2%, the highest in two years.
Food price inflation is eating into household budgets at an alarming rate, particularly those of pensioners.
Tatyana, a 72-year-old from the Russian city of Kirov, told Bloomberg she now spends about two-thirds of her pension on food alone.
