Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Kozak considers it inexpedient to introduce state regulation of prices for fuels and lubricants for certain categories of consumers, including agricultural ones. He stated this at the "government hour" in the Federation Council. “There will be a chain reaction if we set separate prices. Who will compensate? The oil industry will then require state support, ”explained the Deputy Prime Minister.
At the same time, Kozak expressed the hope that retail prices for fuel, including for farmers, will be able to be kept. So, according to him, by the end of February a reverse excise mechanism with a damper should begin to operate, which will work to balance the domestic fuel market. At the same time, on March 31, the agreements with oil companies to contain fuel prices, concluded in November, will expire. “We hope that we will be able to abandon the manual mechanism [price regulation]. And the market will remain stable, ”the official said.
According to Rosstat, during 2018, diesel fuel in the country on average rose by 16% and at the end of December was sold at 46,66 rubles / liter, gasoline prices rose by 11%, to 43,42 rubles / liter. The main growth took place in the first half of the year, when, according to official statistics, diesel prices increased by 11%. Then the Ministry of Agriculture estimated the losses of the farmers at 12 billion rubles. To compensate them, by the order of the government dated August 4, 5 billion rubles were allocated from the reserve fund. In November, the State Duma considered the issue of transferring the remaining 7 billion rubles to the agrarians, but the offer was rejected due to the fact that they would not have time to spend this money.
In four weeks of January 2019, diesel fuel rose in price by another 1,2% (to 47,24 rubles / liter), gasoline - by 0,8% (to 43,77 rubles / liter). According to Kozak, the dynamics of prices in January corresponds to the agreement between the government and the oil industry: as compensation for the increase in VAT, an increase in prices for fuel and lubricants is allowed within 1,7%. “Since the new year, the growth in prices for gasoline and diesel at the filling stations of oil companies is within the permissible 1,7%. The situation with fuel supply is stable, ”he assured.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the annual need of farmers for diesel fuel for field work this year is 4,6 million tons, gasoline - 807 thousand tons. Fuel also plays a key role in the formation of the cost of delivery of agricultural products. Dmitry Vostrikov, executive director of Rusprodsoyuz, estimated the share of fuel costs in the cost of plant products at 13%, livestock products at about 4%.
A source: http://specagro.ru
