The key facts
- The average price of fresh basil is about 5,650 rubles per kilogram; a year ago it was 4–4.5 thousand rubles
- A 32-gram pack of red basil in a Moscow-region Lenta store cost 185 rubles
- Green basil is cheaper than red — about 3 thousand rubles per kilogram
Prices rose by about a third over the year
Basil prices in Russian stores have risen to almost 6 thousand rubles per kilogram. According to the Telegram channel SHOT PROVERKA, over the year the popular culinary herb has risen in price by about a third. Journalists found that fresh basil is now sold on average at about 5,650 rubles per kilogram, whereas a year ago the same amount cost from 4 to 4.5 thousand rubles.
An example from a Moscow-region Lenta store
A resident of the Moscow region reported the high price tag after discovering a pack of red basil weighing only 32 grams for 185 rubles in one of the Lenta chain stores. Recalculated per kilogram, that is almost 5.8 thousand rubles. At the same time, green basil is cheaper than red — about 3 thousand rubles per kilogram.
Shoppers are considering home garden beds
High prices are pushing shoppers to look for alternatives to store-bought herbs: online, Russians are discussing the possibility of growing basil themselves, noting that a small home garden may turn out to be more economical than regularly buying culinary leaves. Earlier, Life.ru reported that Russians are increasingly turning their balconies into mini-gardens, growing basil, arugula and other herbs. The chief agronomist of the Timiryazev Academy explained that even apartments with a lack of sunlight are suitable for such plantings — the problem is solved by grow lights, which make it possible to grow culinary herbs on practically any floor.
