Not Enough Money For “Meat & Potatoes”

Due to the “efforts” of the authorities, Belarusians are now forced to save on bare essentials.

The Belarusian Statistics Committee has published the data on selling certain categories of goods by trade organizations in 2016, myfin.by writes. Which food products did our citizens start buying retail more and which – less, compared with the year 2015?

The Belarusians now buy 0,5% less meat and meat products. The decrease in sales happened exactly because of meat, including poultry and byproducts – we started eating it less by 1,7%. As for meat products, the residents of the country intensified consuming thereof – a surplus of 1,7% has been recorded.

The Belarusians also reduced buying fish and shellfish, to an even greater extent than meat.

The reduction of the volume of sales made 14,5 per cent in this segment. For example, we started to purchase 12,7% less canned goods, preserves, caviar and its substitutes.

The sales fell also with regard to the whole range of alcoholic beverages. Vodka – by 1,1%, cognac, cognac beverages and brandy - by 10,7%, beer – by 0,8%, liqueurs, liqueurs and spirits - by 11,7%, low-alcohol drinks - by 15,1% etc.

However, we now buy 7,7% more fresh vegetables and mushrooms.

The mentioned surplus took place because of potatoes – the volume of sales here grew by 34,4%. Having deducted potatoes out of the total assortment of vegetables, we will see a small reduction of 0,9% in sales of all the remaining products in this segment.

The sales of mineral water in decalitres seriously grew – by 5,1%.

The volumes of realization of cereals also grew, by 1,8 %. This mostly concern oatmeal and cereals thereof – they put on 19,7% together. Meanwhile, buckwheat lost 3%.

Apart from that, Belarusians started buying 3,4% more flour, 1,7% more macaroni, 6,8% more baby food and 0,4% more vegetable oil.

Important to note, the statistical data shown above does not include the information on sales conducted by micro-organizations – the companies with the average number of employees in a year being less than 15 people.

We remind, in 2014, addressing to the people and the “parliament” with the annual speech, Aliaksandr Lukashenka urged Belarusians to go in for sports and “not to stuff themselves with meat and potatoes”.