FAS start checking the meat industry associations due to rising prices of meat in Russia

The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) has today (10/31/2014) started checking sectoral associations in Russia, uniting producers of meat and meat products.

«Federal Antimonopoly Service began unscheduled inspections of compliance with antimonopoly legislation of a number of associations and businesses operating in the market of production and sale of meat and meat products", - stated in the service.

«We plan to carefully analyze the current market situation and find out whether the increase in meat prices consequence of anticompetitive agreements" - is cited in the document, Deputy Head of FAS Russia Alexander Kanev.

«Checks started today. FAS checks sectoral associations of producers of meat and meat products ", - explained TASS press secretary Pavel Bugrov FAS. Checks may take 1 to 3 months. Bougrov added that the service does not yet have the right to disclose the names of associations.

«We test associations and manufacturers because it is often sold under the guise of association anticompetitive agreements", - explained Bougrov.

The Director General of the National Union of breeders Yuri Kovalev Tass confirmed that FAS showed interest in the activities of the Union.

«We have provided all the information of the FAS," - he said. Kovalyov added that staff FAS described premises and removed the information from computers.

«FAS came into the union in order to understand the overall situation in the industry and the market", - he said.

«We can not be a cartel - the president of the union. - We do not work with retailers, we sell live pigs and half-carcasses, meat-packing plant ».

The President of the Meat Board of Customs Union Moushegh Mamikonian in turn told Tass that FAS did not appeal to him about the check. He rejected the possibility of anticompetitive collusion in the council.

The President of the National Meat Association, Sergei Yushin told Tass that the Antimonopoly Service also contacted the association on the issue. "They may suspect that the association provokes an increase or decrease in prices. But the meat market is always volatile, "- he added.

Earlier FAS reported that one case filed in the Tomsk region in the pork market, and three cases in the Stavropol region, Primorsky Krai and the Crimea on the poultry market due to the unreasonable increase in product prices. Service conducts inspections of pricing in the food market of the Russian Federation on behalf of the government in terms of response of food sanctions Russia.

Source: Agency AgroFakt