One of the largest dairy producers in Moldova - “Lactalis-Alba” - intends to increase the price of sour cream in February. Sales manager Serghei Guzun has told Info-Prim Neo that in spring, when the milk is fattier, the sour cream may become cheaper again, Info-Prim Neo reports. “Our company will cheapen a number of products. Only the sour cream will grow dearer at the start of February. It is a rather fatty product, but the milk is now less fatty. The prices of such products as milk, kefir and cheese that contain less fat will be decreased. Some of the products are by 25% cheaper. Butter is by 20% cheaper. Cheese will be by 10% cheaper. The price of sour cream is expected to be increased by 3%. The last time the price of sour cream was raised two years ago,” said Serghei Guzun. He also said that every time the sour cream grows dearer in winter, its price is reduced in summer. “Our company is an international one. We have 220 dairy factories all over the world. If we experience a problem with the supply of raw material here in Moldova, we seek help from the factories in Ukraine, which offer us raw material,” said the sales manager. “Lactalis-Alba” satisfies almost 20% of the Moldovan dairy market. Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Vasile Bumacov has told Info-Prim Neo that they held negotiations with dairy producers so that the price rises are not too high. “Every winter we have less milk and the prices of dairy products usually go up. In summer they go down. Furthermore, 2012 was a very difficult year. The fodder and grain are much dearer. The peasants are also dissatisfied when the milk is collected from them at the price of 3 lei a liter. We encounter difficulties, but I assure you that there will be no essential price increases,” he stated. Some 97% of the milk cows in Moldova are owned by private individuals. Most of them give birth to calves in the middle of spring. Moldova does not have large cow farms. According to the Agriculture Ministry, a Moldovan consumes annually about 170-180 liters of pure milk and milk in dairy products. At world level, the Germans consume the largest quantity of milk and dairy products - 446 liters per person.