OREANDA-NEWS. November 19, 2013. Due to numerous complaints from residents of different Russian provinces, the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) began analyzing prices on the eggs markets in all Russian regions.

FAS already instructed its 83 regional Offices to analyze ex-works prices of agricultural producers and consumer prices for eggs for establish whether producers and retailers comply with the antimonopoly law.

“The first conclusions on the findings will be made on 27th November 2013“, said the Head of FAS Department for Control over Chemical Industry and Agro-Industry Complex, Anna Mirochinenko.

According to Rosptitsesoyuz, egg prices of agricultural producers in the 9 months of 2013 increased by 9%; and monitoring by the Ministry of Agriculture showed that prices in October grew up on average by 10 %.

Agricultural producers increased egg prices against the growing product costs, which in that period reached 20-25%. The growth of production costs was mostly influenced by increased costs of forage for poultry plants (over 30 %) and the gas and electricity tariffs (by 10 %). FAS, however, must find out if the increase of egg prices is associated, in particular, to violations of the antimonopoly law.

“We also instructed to increase control over other markets of food products and should any signs of violations be revealed, we shall undertake adequate measures of antimonopoly control”, commented Anna Mirochinenko.