Irkutsk became the leader among Siberian cities in bread price growth, a kilogram of first grade wheat flour products now costs 47.5 rubles on average, and premium bread more than 79 rubles. Despite the social project Price under control, bread has risen noticeably over the year, and producers blame flour prices. The food basket in Irkutsk remains average for Siberia, below Ulan Ude, but lower than in Krasnoyarsk.
Among the cities of Siberia, Irkutsk has become the leader in rising bread prices. According to the region’s statistical bureau, the average cost of a product made from first-grade wheat flour is 47.5 rubles, and of the highest grade - more than 79 rubles per kilogram.In March of this year, the government of the Irkutsk Region announced the social project "Price Under Control," which obliged retail chains to make minimal markups on the basic food basket of essential goods - these are 14 food products, including bread. But the price of first-grade flour products per kilogram has risen from 33 to 50 rubles per kilogram since March 2015.
Bread manufacturers rely on market conditions: over the year, flour has become 50% more expensive.
Irkutsk resident Larisa Novikova: "Everything is getting more expensive. The ruble is falling, the currency is rising. Citing this, everything is getting more expensive in general. Bread - well, it’s like that with us every year. It has never been the case that it stayed steadily at one price. It keeps going up, up."
The cost of the entire food basket in Irkutsk - 4,423 rubles - is not the highest in Siberia if compared with the capitals of neighboring regions. In Ulan-Ude, the basic set of products is almost 300 rubles cheaper, while in the administrative center of Krasnoyarsk Krai it is 300 rubles more expensive.