Bread to get dearer in Transnistrian region

The price of bread in the Transnistrian region will rise by 2%-10% at the start of next year, the Transnistrian press reported, quoting the so-called local economy minister Elena Chernenko. It is not yet known for sure how much the bread will cost. The region’s administration sets only the highest price that the producers cannot exceed. The highest price is adjusted every year so that the producers do not raise prices as they want. Elena Chernenko also said that the wheat harvest this year in Transnistria is almost three times higher than the internal necessities. In the current market conditions, the producers can make a higher profit if they sell the wheat without making it flour. A tonne of wheat costs about US$200, while of flour – not more than US$175. “We are trying to find a balance between the interests of the producers and of the consumers, taking into account first of all the people’s purchasing power. The pensions were increased by 13% on average,” said Elena Chernenko. She also said that the producers initially asked raising the price of bread by 30%. “The {legislation} allows increasing the prices of bread by at most 10% during a year. We must also take account of the market conjuncture. In order to maintain the necessary volume of wheat for flour we had to accept this rise (of 2%-10%),” said the official. The companies will set by themselves the prices, but the rise cannot exceed 10%. At the bakery complexes in Bender and Slobozia, the prices will remain unchanged. The highest price rise will be in Rybnitsa, while the lowest in Tiraspol. Most probably the prices will increase from next February.