Experts Eastfruit draw attention to a rather important event for the market of vegetables and fruits - since January 25, restrictions on the maximum levels of selling and retail prices for certain types of vegetables and fruits have been introduced in Belarus.
Price limits are established by the Decree of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus dated January 24, 2022 “On the regulation of prices for fruits and vegetables”. The decree applies to six positions of fruit and vegetable products: potatoes, white cabbage, carrots, table beets, onions and apples.
The new price regulation procedure will be in effect from January to May 2022. Thus, the maximum allowable selling price for potatoes during the period of the decree on state regulation of prices is set at the level of 1,38-1,43 bel. rub / kg ($ 0,53-0,55) including VAT), for cabbage - 1,67-1,75 bel. rub/kg ($0,64-0,67), for carrots – 1,53-1,58 bel. rub/kg ($0,59-0,61). The price of beets is set in the range of 1,41-1,44 bel. rub / kg ($ 0,54-0,55), onions - 1,55-1,6 white. rub / kg ($ 0,59-0,61), apples - 2,51-2,54 Bel. rub/kg ($0,96-0,97).
As noted in the explanation of the Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade of the Republic of Belarus, when setting maximum maximum prices, factors such as storage and sale costs, norms of natural loss during storage, the level of trade markup, in the amounts established by current legislation, a limited amount of profit of business entities were taken into account .
It should be noted that earlier products, for which the maximum level of selling prices is now set, were included in the list of socially significant goods, prices for which could be increased in January-February 2022 by 0,9 percent, and in March-December 2022 - by 0,3 percent to the price prevailing on the last day of the previous month.
As explained in the relevant ministry, the introduction of price regulation is due to the protection of the domestic market, the need to prioritize the supply of Belarusian fruits and vegetables to the trading network due to the 2021 harvest, and also taking into account the outstripping growth rate of prices for these products in other countries.