In Russia, the humble cucumber has doubled in price since December, averaging just over 300 roubles ($3.91) per kilogram, sparking consumer anger and political attention. Social media shows cucumbers sometimes selling for two to three times that amount.
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Lawmakers, including members of the ruling United Russia party, have pressed the anti-monopoly regulator to investigate the price hikes, while some politicians are calling for price caps on basic foods. Sergei Mironov, leader of the Just Russia party, criticized authorities for attributing the spike to seasonality, likening cucumbers to last year's "golden" potatoes.
Producers have said prices may fall next month with warmer weather, but the rise comes amid broader inflation (2.1% since the start of the year) and growing concerns over the cost of living as Russia's economy slows after four years of war in Ukraine.
Some Siberian supermarkets are limiting cucumber purchases per shopper, and newspapers have even distributed seeds to encourage home cultivation. The sudden surge in a staple food has made cucumbers a new symbol of Russia's wartime economic pressures, with citizens dubbing them "golden cucumbers" in frustration...