An interdepartmental meeting on the situation with prices for socially significant goods was held at the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia with the participation of representatives of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia, the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia, the Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia, the Federal Tax Service of Russia and other authorities.
The meeting analyzed Rosstat data on the acceleration of inflation in Russia in the period from June 22 to June 28 to 0,23%, which significantly exceeded the level of the previous two weeks. As the deputy head of Rosstat Irina Shapoval explained, Rosstat monitors average prices for 106 goods and services on a weekly basis, calculating the consumer price index on their basis. The calculation uses a cluster model that takes into account the influence of 450 goods and services included in the monthly set, for which prices are not fixed weekly.
Elena Melnikova, Director of the Department of Analytical Support for Foreign Economic Activity of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, presented an analysis of the current situation with food prices on the world market in June. Over the past month, the rate of decline in prices for certain goods ranged from 2,5% to 18,5%. This trend follows a significant rise in May, when the FAO's overall food index rose 5% from the previous month and 40% from last year, reaching a ten-year high. Nevertheless, the level of prices for most goods is still noticeably higher than at the beginning of the year. The exception is sunflower oil and sunflower seeds, as well as wheat. Prices for these commodities fell significantly against the backdrop of expectations for successful sowing in the largest exporting countries. At the same time, the risks of price growth in the two-month outlook remain, mainly due to expectations of an increase in demand from China.
According to Ekaterina Vlasova, Director of the Department of Macroeconomic Analysis and Forecasting of the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia, the situation with prices in Russia for the main socially significant products is generally stabilizing today. Thus, prices for sugar and sunflower oil increased by 0,1%. After peaks in March and April, the seasonal decline in egg prices continued (-1,9%). No alarming trends were recorded for various types of meat, including chicken. The weekly growth rate of prices for buckwheat fell to 0,2% against the backdrop of the entry into force of export restrictions from 5 June.
Accelerated growth in prices continues for fruits and vegetables, primarily potatoes and carrots, but the pace began to slow down compared to previous weeks. As Oksana Lut, Deputy Head of the Russian Ministry of Agriculture, explained, this is due to a decrease in internal stocks of products in anticipation of the arrival of a new crop. In some regions of the Russian Federation, agricultural producers have already begun harvesting potatoes, the bulk of which will be harvested in July-August. Thus, the main ingredients of the "borsch set" are imported today. A decrease in prices for them is expected at the end of July - August, the deputy minister said.
In this context, an appeal to the President of the Russian Federation from a resident of Lipetsk, who complained about the price of carrots at 110 rubles per kilogram, was touched upon. Oksana Lut said that the average import prices for carrots are about $ 500 per ton, which corresponds to a retail price of about 40 rubles per kilogram. The Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, Maxim Reshetnikov, invited the relevant departments to analyze, together with the regions, the pricing structure for this product for unjustified overpricing.
The Deputy Minister of Agriculture also commented on the situation with the receipt of subsidies by producers, provided for in the price stabilization agreements, which were concluded between producers, retail chains and government agencies. According to the department, in a number of regions, the rules for the distribution of these payments need to be adjusted. The provision of subsidies will begin shortly and will be fully completed in the 2021th quarter of XNUMX.