According to Vedomosti, the authorities of the Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories have filed complaints with the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation and the Federal Antimonopoly Service about a serious increase in prices for mineral fertilizers.
The head of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Krasnodar Territory, Vladimir Sitnikov, cited the following data in his circulation: "Urea rose in price by 38 percent (to 17 rubles), and sulfoammophos - by 600 percent, to 96 rubles (per ton)."
The data of the Ministry of Agriculture indicate problems in other Russian regions, in particular in the Volgograd and Chelyabinsk regions. The agrarians' complaints about a sharp rise in the price of fertilizers, especially of the phosphorus group, are also confirmed by trading data on the St. Petersburg International Commodity Exchange.
At the same time, fertilizer producers claim that prices for their products have not grown so much. The industry association says growth in May remained in the range of five percent and opposes artificial administrative price controls.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade also believes that the rise in prices for mineral fertilizers in May did not exceed five percent. They do not see an unreasonable rise in prices even in the FAS. Deputy Prime Minister Victoria Abramchenko, who oversees agriculture, said that measures to stabilize prices and support farmers will be discussed in the government.