"In connection with reports received by the agency about a decrease in purchase prices from raw milk producers, the service requested information from major milk processing companies," the ministry said in a statement.
They specified that signals about the underestimation of purchase prices for raw milk from agricultural producers come from the Altai Territory and the Republic of Tatarstan.
In some cases, a decrease in the purchase price was reported to be up to 30%.
As stated by the acting Larisa Vovkivskaya, head of the FAS Agricultural Control Department, if it turns out that milk processing enterprises deliberately provoke a reduction in purchase prices for raw milk from farmers, while they themselves keep prices at the same level without any reason, then the service will “immediately take antimonopoly response measures”.
Earlier, the FAS announced that they would check in 56 regions of the country for the possible presence of a cartel between Magnit and other retail chains.