In Irkutsk, Governor Igor Yesipovsky discussed with market, shopping center and producer leaders the sharp rise in food prices and called unjustified price increases a markup that sometimes looks like collusion. He compared local and imported goods, noted high prices for some products in the city, and pointed to agricultural enterprises problems with loans. After the meeting, a working group will be created in the region to constantly monitor prices and help farmers with fairs and public procurement.

Questions and pricing mechanisms. On Friday, a meeting was held in Irkutsk between the governor of the region, Igor Esipovsky, and the heads of shopping centers and markets in the capital of Priangarye.
At the Central Market, the governor familiarized himself both with the actual prices for products and with their cost price. At the "Novy" market today, too, they had been waiting for the governor since morning. And the price tags on some products, regular customers admit, have somehow magically become more "people-friendly".
In addition, Igor Esipovsky compared prices for local and imported products. The latter, as a rule, are cheaper.
On the way from producer to counter, the price of a product cannot increase several times over, Igor Esipovsky emphasized. Especially local products! "This is wrong. When it rises by 15-20%, that can be understood. But when it rises by 150-170%, or even by 200, that is already beyond all logic. And here, perhaps, we are already talking about some kind of corporate collusion," said Igor Esipovsky, Governor of the Irkutsk Region.
After visiting the city markets, the governor went to the Gray House. There, under his leadership, a meeting was held. In addition to representatives of shopping centers and supermarket chains, producers of goods were also present.
The meeting began with figures. The consumer price index for food products in 2008 increased by 120%. And this year, it seems, the growth continues. "I am a living person, not a refined manager. Sometimes I go to stores and buy groceries myself. I have the opportunity to remember and compare. As of March 2, among the 12 cities of Siberia monitored by Irkutskstat, in Irkutsk the prices of pork, beef, sour cream, flour, and bread are among the highest," said Igor Esipovsky, Governor of the Irkutsk Region.
And this despite the fact that fuel prices are falling. The cost price of the 2009 harvest, producers assured, will be lower than last year's. However, the problem lies elsewhere. The loans that agricultural enterprises took out a year ago under national projects are now costing them far from "little blood." "And today, with these credit resources, we are having some questions. The banks from which we borrowed are raising interest rates on loans twofold," said Tatyana Bukmakerova, deputy director of an agricultural enterprise.
In any case, officials emphasize, the regional government will try to regulate food prices. This is one of the anti-crisis measures. A working group on regulating food prices will be created under the government of the Irkutsk Region. Its formation will begin this week. The working group will continuously monitor food prices, assist in organizing fairs, and ensure government procurement for agricultural producers.