Russian President Dmitry Medvedev demanded on Thursday that intermediaries involved in sales of agricultural products sharply reduce their markups.
Medvedev, who is on a working trip to south Russia, inspected several agricultural cooperatives in the region and was told that intermediaries bought milk from farmers for 11.5 rubles per liter and sold it in retail stores for 32 rubles.
"So, the farmers get 30% of the price and the intermediaries - about 70%," Medvedev said, asking Russian Agriculture Minister Yelena Skrynnik to take appropriate measures to regulate the discrepancy.
"Work must be done with retail chains, with intermediaries," the president said.
The prices on agricultural products could become a vital issue for the Russian economy following a scorching heat wave which has gripped much of European Russia since mid-June, coupled with the worst drought since the 1970s.
On Wednesday, Russia's statistics service registered an acceleration of weekly consumer price growth to 0.2% on August 3-9, the first in the last few months as the drought pushed up grain, flour and groats prices. Previously, weekly inflation rates had not exceeded 0.1%.
TAGANROG, August 12 (RIA Novosti)
