A huge fuel-farm produce price scissors is braking up agricultural progress, Gordeyev said to today's Presidium session of the Russian Agrarian Movement, which he was addressing as its president.
Diesel fuel prices soared 40 per cent up last year. Gas wholesale prices came more than 25 per cent up within January through March 2005, and electricity tariffs 20 to 50 per cent up, pointed out the minister.
The price scissors robbed farmers of lump 26 billion rubles, roughly $920 million, last year alone. Now, they have to boost grain, bread, meat and milk prices to fill in the gap, he warned.
"Petroleum corporate policies and skyrocketing agricultural market monopolization demand tough anti-monopoly laws introduced. That is our firm conviction," Gordeyev said.
The session spoke up for unified legislation to explicitly determine government agricultural policies.
