Small enterprises of the South Urals were taken under protection

At the Ministry of Agriculture of the Chelyabinsk Region, on behalf of the HEAD of the region, Alexei Teksler, they held a meeting with representatives of small businesses that produce confectionery and bakery products, as well as with representatives of SUGAR suppliers to the regional market (wholesalers). it turned out that the rush demand for sugar by the population led to a disruption in the balance of supplies in the sales segment. To remedy the situation, comprehensive measures are being taken at the federal and regional levels.

According to the Minister of Agriculture of the region Alexei Kobylin, there is no shortage of sugar in Russia: the product is produced in sufficient quantities at domestic factories in the central and southern regions of the country. But residents of the region and processors - manufacturers of the confectionery and baking industry continue to appeal to the ministry with complaints about the sugar shortage.

The excitement that arose against the backdrop of Western sanctions has led to an increase in demand from the population by a factor of two. Moreover, according to the Russian Sugar Union, shipments of sugar from manufacturing plants also increased. This even prompted suspicion of concerted actions of sugar distributors, in respect of which the Federal Antimonopoly Service and the Prosecutor General's Office organize inspections. But at a meeting in the Ministry of Agriculture of the region, wholesale suppliers said that sugar is shipped from factories primarily to retail chains. And if federal retailers continue to keep the price of sugar with the help of the so-called cross-subsidization, raising prices for other, less popular goods, then wholesalers and manufacturers of sugar-containing products have no choice: sugar has become more expensive and its stocks are not enough. As a result of the increase in deliveries to retail chains (already yesterday evening, sugar could be bought in stores in free sale), there was a “dehydration” of the production environment. The Ministry of Agriculture decided to apply to the governor with a request to come up with a proposal to the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation to make sugar supplies to regional distributors and federal retailers more transparent.

Today, the question arises of providing processing enterprises with the main raw materials - sugar, FLOUR, margarine, and their prices. Therefore, the next meeting will be held at the Ministry of Agriculture between all market participants.

Considering that, according to the wholesalers, they do not purposefully restrain the supply of sugar to processing enterprises, the regional business ombudsman Alexander Goncharov suggested contacting him if the rights of entrepreneurs are violated by the regulatory authorities. He also promised assistance and protection to entrepreneurs who are faced with a breach of contractual obligations by financial institutions and suppliers of raw materials, if prices for long-term contracts suddenly change and they offer to buy already paid goods at three times the price.

Elena Raevskaya, Deputy Regional Minister of Economic Development, took part in the meeting of entrepreneurs. She spoke about new programs to support small businesses, preferential loans that entrepreneurs will be able to apply for at the My Business Competence Center, where a hotline is open, which you can also contact with any problematic issue, the hotline is 8-800-350-24- 74.

Source: Press Center of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Chelyabinsk Region