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Will Türkiye Save Us? Economists on Whether Butter Imports Will Help Curb Prices in Russian Stores
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"If in October 2023 a 200-gram package of butter could be bought for an average of 211.7 rubles, today its price is 264.9 rubles," economist and founder of the Cenosaur cloud service Konstantin Kalugin told MSK1.RU. - It is important to note that we are talking about the average price of butter in the retail network. For a standard 200 g package, you can find products priced at 134.99 rubles and 419.99 rubles.
— As for supplies from Turkey, I think it could be a politically advantageous alliance for Russia. Perhaps it is economically disadvantageous, but Russia maintains a partnership with Turkey through oil purchases, experts believe. — We have also started buying oil from India and Iran. I think it is simply a “friendly” move. We are one thing for them, and they are another for us.
"This may be an artificial increase in prices for essential products. "I believe that the FAS should monitor this situation as well," he emphasized. "We need to figure out why the price of products has increased. It is better to regulate these processes within the country than to rely on external raw materials. This is not coffee or cocoa beans, which are not yet available in Russia. In the end, we can produce our own oil. In the short term, we can buy in, but in the long term, these processes need to be improved.
In addition, Turkey is a country with strong agricultural production. The total volume of butter production in Turkey is just over 100,000 tons per year, which is only three times more than in Russia, but the rate of production growth in Turkey is much higher than the rate of production growth in Russia. Accordingly, in 2024, oil production increased by 3.5% in the Russian Federation and by 12.3% in the Middle East compared to the same period last year. Political scientist Ekaterina Karadzha said that it is profitable for Turkish producers to sell oil to Russia.
The organoleptic properties (taste, smell, color) of Turkish butter are superior to Russian butter. In Turkey, different types of butter are always sold on the shelves. Salted and unsalted butter, cooking oil, breakfast butter, goat butter and even buffalo milk. However, a Turkish expert believes that in Russia it will be premium oil.
— Turkish oil does not disappoint us in terms of quality, but will it also disappoint in terms of price? The price of Russian oil is on average 200-300 rubles per 200 grams, and Turkish Pinar oil is sold in Russia for 579 rubles per 200 grams, Ekaterina Karadzha told MSK1.RU. — Of course, there are cheaper producers in Turkey, and on Turkish shelves you can find oil for 82 lira (about 230 rubles).
Russians living in Turkey reacted to the decision to import oil on social networks. They are concerned that there will be a shortage on the domestic market and the price of this commodity will rise to a critical level. At the same time, the country is already experiencing extremely high inflation. But, according to experts, there is no need to worry.
— In Turkey, the climate is favorable for the development of dairy production. There is no snow in most of the country, so there is no seasonal decline in milk production. Dairy cows in Turkey graze almost all year round, while in Russia the period of high milk yields lasts from April-May to October, and moving cows indoors reduces milk yields, explains Ekaterina Karadzha. — Due to the absence of these fluctuations, Turkey has high potential for increasing dairy production. Therefore, there is no shortage of butter expected in Turkey. In Turkey, there is a rise in prices, but it is not due to a deficit, but to high inflation, an increase in the minimum wage and expensive loans (the current refinancing rate is 50%).