The seasonal decline in the cost of vegetables borsch set from suppliers may not be reflected on the shelves. The reason is the lack of transport capacities and a twofold increase in prices for transportation from the south to the center of Russia. Farmers and retailers are offering to subsidize road transport. But the Ministry of Industry and Trade is still determined to check the carriers with the help of the antimonopoly service.
Agricultural producers and retailers complained about a shortage of transport capacities, as well as a two-fold increase in prices for the transportation of products from the south of the country to the center. This issue was discussed at a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Viktor Yevtukhov on August 3, several of its participants told Kommersant. According to them, for this reason, the seasonal decrease in the cost of vegetables in the borsch set from manufacturers may not be reflected on the shelves in stores. The Ministry of Industry and Trade only told Kommersant that there were no official requests on this topic from market participants.
At the meeting, representatives of Magnit and X5 Retail Group (Pyaterochka and Perekrestok chains) announced the shortage of transport for the transportation of potatoes and vegetables in open ground (carrots, beets, onions). In addition, they said that over the past two months, carriers have raised prices by 10-30%. X5 Retail Group, Magnet, Auchan, Dixy, Metro, Lenta did not answer additional questions from Kommersant.
Chairman of the Presidium of the Association of Retail Companies (AKORT; association of large retailers) Igor Karavaev explained at the meeting that the delivery by a truck of 20 tons from the Volgograd and Astrakhan regions to distribution centers in Moscow doubled year-on-year, to 100 thousand rubles. per ton. Already, transport costs account for 25% of the cost of vegetables on the shelves. This will not allow the chains "to more clearly reduce and respond to the seasonal decline in purchase prices for vegetables," warned Mr. Karavaev. In AKORT, Kommersant did not provide comments.
Producers of open field vegetables every season observe a shortage of refrigerated trucks for transporting products, but this year the situation is aggravated by a shortage of drivers due to the pandemic, says Tatyana Gubina, head of the staff of the Union of Potato and Vegetable Market Participants. This, according to her, leads to a rise in price: now transportation is from 25% to 40% in the price of vegetables in open ground. Olga Fedotkina, Executive Director of the National Union of Transport and Logistics Experts, said at the meeting that the jump in fuel prices, the withdrawal of a number of small carriers from the market, as well as administrative barriers, for example, the ban of Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin on the movement of trucks, had a negative impact on the cost of transportation. weighing over 3,5 tons within the Moscow Ring Road without a pass (see "Kommersant" of March 17).
Dmitry Leonov, deputy chairman of the board of Rusprodsoyuz, explained that if a supplier works with the same logistics company, then the cost for him, as a rule, does not change or is adjusted minimally. But for those providers who are just entering the market, the growth of services may be more significant, he adds.
Tatyana Gubina points out that the problem can be solved, among other things, by subsidizing the transportation of products by road. Now such a measure of support applies to the transportation of vegetables by rail to the Far East, as well as to deliveries by any means for export. AKORT offers a similar solution. According to the data released at the meeting, up to 95% of the total volume of borscht set is transported by road.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade will ask the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) to check the pricing of carriers. Viktor Evtukhov was instructed to write an appeal following the meeting. The press service of the FAS told Kommersant that they have not yet received requests from networks and industry associations regarding the increase in the cost of transportation by road, but promised to consider them if received. The Ministry of Agriculture confirmed that agricultural producers and retailers complain about the rise in prices for road transport and local difficulties with the availability of free transport. They said that they would additionally work out the issue at the site of the Ministry of Transport.