AMCU checks the justification of the increase in prices for chicken eggs: what is known?

The Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) has begun an investigation into the reasons for the rapid increase in prices for chicken eggs, which has occurred since October 2024. The agency is trying to find out whether the price increase is justified, or whether there are possible abuses in the market.

According to the press service of the AMCU, the committee has already sent requests for information to business entities that are directly involved in the production of chicken eggs, forming the primary supply on the market, as well as to companies that sell eggs to the population and produce compound feed, which is one of the main components of the cost of production.

Price increase in 2024: a repeat of the situation in 2022
Prices for chicken eggs began to increase sharply in October 2024. The AMCU notes that this situation is reminiscent of the events of September-October 2022, when a sharp jump in the cost of the product was also observed. Given this, the committee decided to expand the time frame of the study to cover both periods.

"We drew attention to the rapid increase in prices for chicken eggs in October 2024, which has similar characteristics to the prices of September-October 2022. Therefore, we continued the study to cover the current situation, while keeping the subject and subject of the study unchanged," the AMCU explained.

Market research and analysis
As part of the study, the AMCU collects and analyzes information from market participants at each link in the product turnover, starting from egg producers and ending with end consumers. This allows us to identify possible problems at different stages of product supply, including factors affecting price formation.

In particular, the committee is investigating whether the increase in egg prices is the result of market factors, such as higher feed prices, or whether it is the result of antitrust violations or abuses by producers and intermediaries.

Completion of the investigation and possible consequences
After the committee receives responses from market participants and analyzes all possible factors, it will form final conclusions on whether there are signs of a violation of the legislation on the protection of economic competition. If violations are identified in the market, the AMCU may take appropriate measures, including imposing fines or sanctions on participants who have violated competition rules.

The AMCU's role in supporting fair competition
The AMCU actively responds to situations that may indicate anticompetitive practices, thereby contributing to stability in the markets and protecting the interests of consumers. It is important that the chicken egg market, like any other, is transparent and controlled so that end consumers do not suffer from unreasonable price fluctuations.

Further steps of the committee
The committee will continue to monitor the market and investigate the reasons for price increases in order to effectively combat possible monopolistic actions and ensure fair competition. The results of this study will determine whether additional measures will be taken to stabilize chicken egg prices in Ukraine.