The Ministry of Agriculture explained the rise in meat prices with the barbecue season

The increase in MEAT prices in RUSSIA is “not significant” and is associated with a seasonal surge in consumption due to the barbecue season, the Ministry of Agriculture said. Earlier, the Union of meat processors complained about the rise in prices for pork,

Meat prices in Russia grew “insignificantly” in 2018, the Ministry of Agriculture said in a statement to RBC.

“In the spring-summer period, there is traditionally a tendency towards an increase in domestic producer prices, which is associated with a seasonal increase in meat consumption in the consumer sector (“kebab season”),” the agency said.

The Ministry of Agriculture also emphasizes that, according to weekly monitoring data, as of August 16, the weighted average prices for beef are at the level of the same period last year, for pork and poultry prices are higher by 2.5 and 3.1%, respectively.

One of the reasons that influenced the rise in meat prices, the department called the growth of the exchange rate against the ruble. In this case, the price of imported meat in ruble terms increases, "which also affects the pricing policy of Russian producers," the Ministry of Agriculture notes.

Earlier, the Vedomosti newspaper reported that the National Union of Meat Processors (NSM) appealed to Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Gordeev with complaints about the "uncontrolled rise in prices" for meat. Meat processors noticed that since the beginning of the year, pork has risen in price by 30%, chicken - by 35%, domestic beef - by 10%, and imported - by 25%. The association of meat processors believes that the reason for the increase in prices was the restriction of imports.