Queuing up at five in the morning: there is an acute shortage of eggs in Russia, and Russians are storming the shelves. Photos

An egg shortage has begun in Russia. Prices for the basic product in some regions have soared to 300 rubles per dozen (over 120 UAH). Many supermarket chains have switched to selling eggs by the dozen and imposed restrictions on the number of eggs per person, and Russian residents are lining up in huge lines at makeshift counters near trucks, where eggs are sold at a cheaper price.

On average, this product has risen in price by 42.2% in Russia over the past year. However, the market experienced a particular stir in early December, when the price of eggs began to rise by 4% per week, Russian media reported. On social media, Russians themselves published photos of price tags and videos of long lines for eggs, for example, in Belgorod.

"How long will they mock people with these unfortunate eggs. People lined up at five in the morning, and only one car comes," one Russian woman commented on the video posted online.

The eggs are sold by the piece in supermarkets in Moscow, Sverdlovsk region, Orenburg, Novosibirsk and in the occupied Ukrainian Crimea. "This is the market's response to the decline in household incomes, so that buyers do not reduce their purchases, at least in terms of value. The cost of production has increased by 28-30%, and until the cost of production goes down, it will be difficult to talk about lower consumer prices," said Marнna Petrova, CEO of a retail chain.

According to experts and producers, the rise in the price of chicken eggs was due to a reduction in the number of poultry in Russia, bird flu, higher feed and veterinary drugs, and increased demand. One of the reasons for the increased demand for eggs is that other sources of animal protein have become less affordable for Russians.

The Russian Prosecutor General's Office has announced the start of inspections of egg producers and retailers. And the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) of Russia has proposed to limit the markup on all chicken eggs to just over 5%. "In some cases, the reason for the rise in prices is the unfair behavior of market participants who pursue a speculative policy towards consumers," the FAS said.

According to Russian representatives of the industry, it is still impossible to dramatically increase egg production. "Attracting investors is quite problematic in this industry, because poultry farms sometimes suffer losses year after year - in the summer, when there is no high price for eggs, producers sell them cheaper than the cost price, it is a forced measure because the shelf life is limited and they either throw them away or sell them cheaper... Prices for eggs peak at New Year's and Easter, and you can't tell whether you're going to make a profit or a loss during the year," Dmytro Vostrikov, a representative of the Rusprodsoyuz association, told the Russian media.

Because of this, Russia has opened the market for Turkish eggs. Russian Agricultural Supervision has authorized supplies from 17 Turkish companies.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, millions of Russian families have to cut costs due to a significant increase in prices. So far, food and other goods are getting more expensive, salaries remain the same, and the ruble is devaluing. The reason for this is the war against Ukraine, which was unleashed by Russia itself. However, the Russians themselves refuse to recognize this connection and are probably ready to continue supporting Vladimir Putin and his power vertical.

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