OREANDA-NEWS. August 31, 2012. At the initiative of Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, the Cabinet of Ministers has set minimum level of purchase prices for milk from the population at the level 2.20 UAH (excluding VAT).

The Prime Minister called the situation where in many areas of the country the population of milk purchased at a price of 1.6-1.8 UAH inadmissible. "Up to 70% of the milk produced in the country by private agro producers, who must be protected from various speculators who buy milk at artificially low prices" - Mykola Azarov said.

The Prime Minister also directed the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food until late August to develop and submit to the Cabinet of Ministers the draft law, which would force milk refiners to place on the packaging of dairy products produced with the addition of substitutes for dairy ingredients, a marking "with dairy products substitute". If product is made from not natural dairy products it is offered to ban usage of traditional original names. The draft law should provide that the dairy products made with substitutes, will be placed on separate shelves and racks, and specifically marked.

According to the Prime Minister, the law in the first place will protect the rights of consumers, enabling them to easily distinguish natural dairy products from products manufactured using substitutes as well - will reduce the retail prices of dairy products with substitute ingredients and support local conscientious milk processing producers.