The head of the Crocus Group, Araz Agalarov, called the containment of food prices senseless 
products. The businessman said this in an interview with RBC.
Agalarov said that all grocery store chains are currently competing with each other, so the billionaire rules out the possibility of cartel collusion (an agreement between stores to sell goods at a certain price). According to the head of Crocus Group, food prices are growing following the increase in costs due to the rise in prices for fuel and fertilizers. “If sugar cost 20 rubles from suppliers, we sold it for 22 rubles. If the entry price becomes 40 rubles, we sell it for 44 rubles. I think that manufacturers also raised the price for a reason, they are not able to artificially raise prices, “Agalarov said.
The billionaire stressed that prices in retail chains do not rise at someone's will, but as a result of the processes that take place in the market. At the same time, Agalarov also noted a small consumer demand in Russia due to low incomes of the population. He cited the example of the United States, where unemployment benefits, according to a businessman, are $ 2.8 thousand a month. This level of income ensures high consumer demand, says the billionaire. “We are at the other extreme – the average salary and pensions are very low. All this together creates a rather problematic situation in trade – for tenants in shopping centers and further along the chain, “the businessman said.
On November 15, Deputy Prime Minister Victoria Abramchenko instructed to prepare measures to curb prices for sugar and vegetable butter. At the same time, she urged to take into account that food prices are growing around the world. To maintain stable prices, the Ministry of Agriculture is considering introducing a tariff quota for the import of sugar and raw sugar in 2022. The department also allowed the possibility of revising the “floating” duty upward with a sharp rise in the cost of sunflower in Russia and the world.