Pensioners scramble for the last packages
Russia experiences sugar crisis
3/17/2022, 3:59 p.m
What oil and noodles are to Germany, sugar is to Russia: Many Russians are stockpiling sugar out of concern about Western sanctions. The strong demand promptly leads to rising prices and empty shelves. Now the authorities are reacting.
The sharp increase in sugar prices after the invasion of Ukraine and increasing hamster purchases have prompted the Russian competition authority to take action. This announced controls at producers, retailers and intermediaries. “The fact that sugar is not on the shelves in several regions is due to rushed demand fueled by dishonest organizations,” said the anti-monopoly organization FAS.
Sugar prices rose 12.8 percent last week, according to data from the Rosstat statistical agency. Video footage circulating on social media shows pensioners jostling each other in supermarkets to snag as many cones of candy as possible. For many Russians, sugar is a staple, like buckwheat and salt. With Western sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, many consumers have rushed to stock up or stock up.
“My mother-in-law was in the store yesterday and there was no sugar at all, and she couldn’t find it in other stores either,” said Oleg, a builder in the city of Vladimir. “People are concerned.” The authorities, on the other hand, see no reason to rush to buy groceries.
The Russian government announced on Monday evening that it would stop exporting both grain and “white and raw cane sugar to third countries”. This will temporarily stop exports to Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The restrictions on grain exports are to apply until the end of June and those on sugar until the end of August. The comprehensive sanctions imposed by Western countries make it considerably more difficult for Russia to import many goods.