According to Russian data company Rosstat, the price of vegetables in the country is rising faster than for any other food, increasing by 53.3 per cent in the first half of 2008, Fruit-Inform reported.
This compares with a comparatively meagre increase in Europe, be that 2.9 per cent, according to data firm Eurostat.
The price of fruit is also on the rise in Russia, increasing by 13.2 per cent, compared with a rise of 8.4 per cent in the European Union.
To blame, producers say, is a combination of rising fertiliser costs and the ever-spiralling cost of fuel.
