The number ‘‘30’’ is not a number Russian farmers can look on with any kind of pleasure. This is because for at least three months every winter, they have to farm at -300C. In complete contrast, for at least three months every summer, they have to adjust their systems to farming at +300C. And now Russian farmers have to pay an interest rate of 30% for their agricultural credit.

A doubling of interest rates is just one of the prices Russian farmers have to pay for their president’s spat with America and the EU over his annexation of Crimea. It is also only one of the prices they are prepared to pay for getting their produce on to the empty supermarket shelves vacated by American, Irish and all EU farmers.

The Russian embargo on imports of American and EU products has been in place for nearly nine months. When the embargo was first introduced, the conventional wisdom was that Russia could hold out for six months. The expectation was that the extreme winter months of January, February and March would test even the Kremlin in 2015.

But as forecast exclusively by the Irish Farmers Journal at the start of the embargo, Russian resolve, resilience, and resources continue to remain firm and steadfast. Indeed, not at any time, did Russia show even the slightest hint of breaking.

Now, as the annual thaw sets in and winter turns to spring, all Russians are breathing a long sigh of relief. Furthermore, Russian farmers in the Ural Mountains and elsewhere continue to toast Barack Obama and his EU friends.

The gaps left on Russian supermarket shelves are being filled mainly by Russian farmers and food processors.

And so today, there are no empty shelves in Russian supermarkets. Accordingly, food queues in Moscow are but a bad and a distant memory. Russian consumers are both extremely quality-conscious and price-conscious. Consequently, Russian shopping trolleys or baskets are seldom, if ever, full or over-flowing with any luxuries. Mainstream restaurants and bars are also empty.

Where restaurants continue to serve food, portion sizes and meat content are reduced by 30%. Alcohol sales and consumption is down by 20% to 30%.

Across the board, salaries and wages are being slashed. But, to date, with the exception of foreign holiday travel agents, there are no significant job losses in Russia. How long this will continue is another question. A whole raft of organisations in the heavily bloated Russian state bureaucracy are now bracing themselves for consolidation and closure. Investments in big infrastructure projects are being long-fingered.

In summary, all of this should ensure that Russia will emerge from this crisis, stronger and fitter than ever. Belt-tightening comes naturally to Russians.

  • A native of Cavan, Brendan Dunleavy has over 20 years’ agricultural project management experience in Russia and Ukraine.