The first batch of Moldovan early potatoes has arrived at wholesale and retail markets in Chisinau, but their price-to-quality ratio lags behind imported alternatives, according to Logos Press.
Locally grown in the Cahul region under tunnel greenhouses and agrotextile, Moldovan potatoes are priced at MDL 50/kg (€2–2.6) in retail and MDL 40–45/kg (€2.05-2.31) in small wholesale. At the same time, Romanian early potatoes are being sold at similar prices on open-air produce markets in the capital, but with better quality, characterized by larger and more uniform sizing. This highlights the fact that Moldovan potato growers still do not consistently practice proper sorting.
In retail chains, the early potato assortment mainly includes imports from North Macedonia, and occasionally from Egypt and Iran. These imports feature significantly larger calibers and are priced roughly twice as low as the early Moldovan produce found in markets and boutique retailers. Visually, the imported varieties closely resemble washed potatoes from last year's harvest, which are almost exclusively sourced from Belarus, France, and the Netherlands in Chisinau's supermarkets.
Interestingly, retail prices for the 2024 potato crop rose by around 8–10% in May, while the overall price range narrowed. According to the Moldovan Potato Growers Association, high prices are likely to persist through mid-summer.
Source: logos-pres.md