OREANDA-NEWS The territorial authorities of the Federal Antimonopoly Service have opened four cases against producers of chicken eggs in the Kemerovo, Voronezh, Ivanovo and Donetsk regions on the grounds of cartel agreements. The department told Izvestia about this on December 26.

"As a result of market research, as well as analysis of the submitted materials, the Kemerovo Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia revealed that the producers of chicken eggs LLC "Poultry Farm Inskaya" and LLC "Yashkinskaya Poultry Farm" are part of the same group of persons who occupy a dominant position in the regional market," the FAS explained.

They noted that in October 2023, these companies allowed an increase in wholesale and selling prices for chicken eggs from 31% to 40% compared to September, while reducing the weighted average cost of production. The department has opened a case against the companies on grounds of abuse of a dominant position, the department added.

"The Voronezh Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia has revealed a one-time increase in prices for chicken eggs from the companies LLC Bobrovskaya Poultry Farm, LLC SHP PPH Zabrodenskoye, LLC Ryaba and an agricultural production cooperative producing chicken eggs under the brand Tretyakovskaya Poultry Farm. In October 2023, the companies allowed an increase in weighted average wholesale and selling prices from 16% to 37% for chicken eggs compared to September," the antimonopoly authority said.

"Also, the Donetsk Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia recorded a one-time increase in prices for chicken eggs from the companies Novoazovskaya Poultry Farm LLC, Proletarskaya Poultry Farm LLC, Zugressky Reproductor LLC, Amvrosievskaya Poultry Farm LLC. In October 2023, the companies allowed an increase in weighted average wholesale and selling prices from 9% to 24% for chicken eggs compared to September," the report says.

The Voronezh, Ivanovo and Donetsk UFAS of Russia have opened cases against companies on the grounds of cartel agreements. In case of violations in the framework of antitrust cases, companies face turnover fines in accordance with the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation.

"As a result of inspections of the economic validity of prices and the actions of companies, we see that in some cases the price increase is not due to economic reasons, but occurs, among other things, as a result of agreements between business entities. If the facts of such behavior of market participants are revealed, our territorial administrations initiate cases on grounds of violation of the Law on Protection of Competition. Now there are 6 such regions — Kirov, Kemerovo, Voronezh, Ivanovo regions and a number of others. The work continues," said Maxim Shaskolsky, head of the Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia.