OREANDA-NEWS. October 04, 2010. The Office of the Federal Antimonopoly Service in the Altai region (OFAS Russia) initiated a new case upon the signs of concerted actions between four wholesale suppliers of buckwheat, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

As reported earlier, on 30th September 2010 the Commission of Altai OFAS Russia was scheduled to consider the first “Buckwheat” case against ten companies supplying peeled buckwheat within and outside the Altai region.

The second case against other economic entities was opened as a result of antimonopoly inspections of all participants of the market in question, carried out by Altai OFAS Russia. Following the instructions of FAS Russia and the General prosecutor’s Office of the Russian Federation, experts of Altai OFAS Russia, jointly with officers from the Regional Prosecutor’s Office, are analyzing price behavior on the market of buckwheat purchases and sales. The analysis is based on the data obtained in course of monitoring carried out by Altai OFAS Russia, information presented by Altai Regional Prosecutor’s Office and the latest update from the Altai Regional Statistics Office (Altaikraistat).

In July – August 2010, consumer prices for buckwheat increased by 44.2%. In general, the trends in consumer prices for peeled buckwheat corresponded with behavior of ex-works prices of buckwheat producers. At the same time, some companies considerably increased buckwheat prices, exceeding the growth of prices of grain producers.

When the first case was opened, the Head of Altai OFAS Russia Stepan Pospelov suggested that the number of buckwheat suppliers brought in the case as respondents was not final: “These companies have been identified in course of an antimonopoly investigation which is not over yet, so the number of respondents can increase”.

The second ‘buckwheat” case is scheduled on 20th October 2010.

Also on 6th October the Commission of Altai OFAS Russia is going to make a decision regarding three stores in Tabyny District Centre that set practically identical buckwheat prices. On 7th October the antimonopoly body will consider a case against two poultry farms (“Molodezhnaya” Poultry Farm” AKGUP and “Komsomolskaya “Poultry Farm” Ltd.) being suspected in fixing and maintaining similar prices for their products.