OREANDA-NEWS. March 06, 2009. On the instructions of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia), and in order to ensure stability of the goods markets in the Russian Federation against the crisis of financial markets, in January 2009 the regional offices of FAS Russia monitored the prices for the group of socially important goods (bread, milk, sunflower oil) along the whole production chains of these products, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

In October 2008, FAS Russia, jointly with its regional offices, started monthly monitoring of the markets of socially important goods (bread, vegetable oil, milk, flour).

Initial findings were published in December 2008 on the web-site of FAS Russia.

Monitoring of the situation on the bread market in January 2009 showed that in general the growth of retail prices for wheat and rye bread in the Russian Federation was not pronounced.

According to the January / December price indexes, the ex-works prices for bread and bakery products in the studied regions remained stable and did not change; with the exception of the Belgorod, Ivanovo, Kurgan, Novosibirsk, Rostov and Sakhalin region, the Republic of Buryatia, the Republic of Karelia, and St Petersburg.

Nevertheless, prices in the above regions increased insignificantly, only for certain types of bread baked by some producers. Also, producers from the same regions set different prices, and bread prices could become cheaper as well as more expensive.

Milk prices in January 2009 also remained stable. In comparison with December 2008, the purchasing prices increased slightly: in the Novgorod region - by 3%, in the Kamchatka region - by 8%, in the Tambov region - by 10%. In the Tyva Republic only one producer (the "Tyvamoloko" State Unitary Enterprise) increased its purchasing prices.

At the same time, the purchasing prices for milk in the Tula region, the Novosibirsk region, and the Republic of Buryatia decreased on average by 10%.

The retail milk prices changed insignificantly. In particular, some sellers in the Novgorod region increased their retail prices from 7 to 14%, in the Kamchatka region prices increased on average by 11%.

At the same time, the retail prices for milk decreased in the Tambov region and in the Tyva Republic.

According to the data presented by regional offices of FAS Russia, the ex-works prices for the bottled refined deodorized sunflower oil (further on - sunflower oil) did not increase considerably in January 2009. The situation in most regions of the Russian Federation is stable.

In January 2009 different producers increased or lowered their ex-works prices for sunflower oil.

The retail prices for sunflower oil in January 2009 increased only in the Tyumen region and in the Kamchatka region, on average by 24%. At the same time, the retail prices for sunflower oil decreased in the Republic of Buryatia, the Novgorod, Moscow, Rostov, Tver', Tula, Tambov and Yaroslavl' regions. On average, retail prices decreased by 15%.


Price monitoring in January 2009 revealed some signs of antimonopoly violations in the Orel and Kursk regions and the Altail province (krai). The regional offices of FAS Russia have initiated proceedings and started antimonopoly investigations. Should the facts of violating of the antimonopoly legislation be confirmed, the offices of FAS Russia will issue determinations to the violators on stopping the antimonopoly offences, and impose appropriate administrative charges.