Russia’s Ministry of Industry and Trade reported early this week that investigations initiated by the country’s Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) in certain agricultural regions did not reveal any signs of “an unjustified” increase in fertilizer prices, and consequently, there currently are no reasons for freezing fertilizer prices, Interfax reported, citing the ministry’s press service.
The FAS announced plans in late February to examine the grounds for pricing of mineral fertilizers to the Russian domestic market, following fertilizer price increase concerns by the country’s farmers (GM Feb. 26, p. 37). Russia’s Agriculture Minister in March had proposed a domestic fertilizer price freeze for the country’s planting season (GM March 5, p. 31; March 19, p. 29).