People in Moscow Eat Much Less Now

Average daily consumption of foodstuffs in Moscow was reduced in 2009 up to one thousand tons in comparison with 2008 and made 31 thousand tons. "Interfax" informs referring to the data of capital department of food supplies.

According to the department, in 2009 dependence of Moscow on foodstuffs import essentially decreased. In particular, it was reduced from 69 to 66 percent for meat and meat products. Import tallow oil makes now on the Russian market 26 percent (a year before - 44 percent).

It is necessary to notice that key role in supply of Moscow by products, on examination of the officials, is played now by agroholdings. They occupy 60 percent of the market on meat and grain, 40 percent - on vegetables and 25 percent - on oil.

Earlier it was informed that the cost of the minimum set of foodstuff on the average across Russia for last year has decreased by 0,4 percent. Thus, by results of sociological interrogations carried out in 2009, about half of the Russians agreed to pass to cheaper products.

- It is rather strange that officials experience joy on occasion of import-replacement in the market of foodstuff, - editor-in-chief of FORUM.msk Anatoly Baranov noticed. - Yes, domestic products are cheaper and consequently people start buying them more often but it's shortage of money for meal is on the base of it. Whether it's surprising that having 10 roubles in a purse instead of 2-3 thousand, you buy black bread instead of a high-grade dinner? Whether one could be happy that black bread which you can let yourself to buy is of domestic production? It reminds me an ancient joke about two news - good one and bad one. Bad is that there is nothing to eat except dog pieces of shit. The good one - we have of lot of it! Muscovites began to eat foodstuff by 3% less in weight calculation, probably, that quality losses is even more higher - if import oil on the market fell in percentage terms almost twice, it means, most likely, the quantity of oil decreased. While for certain there is more grain now. The fact that assortment of products in the shops of the capital became poorer - is seen with the naked eye. It means only one thing - on the whole people began to eat worse.

According to Rosstat, the cost of the minimum set of foodstuff in Moscow in the end of December made 2,401 thousand roubles and increased for a month 0,9% (from the beginning of the year - by 2,6%), in St.-Petersburg - 2,299 thousand roubles and grew by 0,2% (from the beginning of the year - decreased by 0,5%). Sharp rise of prices for products is planned to the middle of the year.

"Russia as a whole is being fed up much worse, than Moscow and Petersburg, - Anatoly Baranov reminded. - There are some pleasant exceptions like Rostov-on-Don or Krasnodar but as a whole - worse if to take in account small cities especially to the east from Volga - much worse. The general consumption level of meat, milk and dairy products, fruit and fresh vegetables till now is lower, than in the USSR of Gorbachev period which is recollected by turns and deficiency. Then the CPSU Central Committee accepted Food Program which by 2000 year should provide consumption of foodstuff for all citizens not below a level of physiological requirement. As it is known, 9 years prior to the planned term Food Program ceased to be carried out for some independent reasons and consumption of foodstuff remained at level appreciably below physiological norm. At that 2 times lower on the average, than at socialism. Whether it is necessary to ask now a question, why life expectancy in Russia is one of the lowest in Europe, lower, than in China and even in Tajikistan? I will only remind you that we are what we eat. And we eat shit... For already a year we are obviously eating by 3 percent less of insufficient food".

- I understand that president Medvedev will not answer us here on FORUM.msk, - Anatoly Baranov finished. - Though in general everything is being monitored, I will dare to remind - there's still in our country, near to Kiaty - Gorod Institute of Nutrition RAMS where they can answer questions of such person as Dmitry Medvedev quite exhaustively - if he will ask questions how much and what exactly is lacking in a diet of dear Russians so that conversations about healthy way of life and growth of its duration will not remain a waffle and a way to steal a little bit of public money. Still I will remind that growth of life duration is a unique integrated indicator which can be taken into account to judge about successfulness of boarding in a peace time.

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