Ukraine opens antitrust case against two largest egg producers
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The Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) has launched a case against the country’s two largest chicken egg producers — Avangard Group and Ovostar Union — as of late May, according to a statement from the agency’s press service on Tuesday, June 3.

The AMCU suspects these companies of engaging in anticompetitive concerted practices related to the pricing of chicken eggs.

The investigation was initiated following a sharp increase in egg prices observed in October 2024.

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Back in April, the AMCU issued recommendations to the ten largest producers aimed at preventing violations of competition law. A month later, based on a detailed analysis of their market behavior and financial performance, the agency officially opened a case.

The AMCU emphasized the social importance of the issue, noting that eggs are a staple product for Ukrainian consumers. Given their scale, Avangard and Ovostar significantly influence the market as Ukraine’s largest industrial producers of chicken eggs.

Each year, Ukrainians consume between 11.5 and 12 billion eggs, with production split evenly — 50% by commercial poultry farms and 50% by household producers.

Three major companies dominate industrial egg production, jointly accounting for around 60% of total output:

  • Avangard Group (trading as Kvochka, owned by Oleg Bakhmatyuk)
  • Ovostar Union (Yasensvit brand, owned by Borys Belykov and Vitaliy Veresenko)
  • Inter Edinstvo (This Is an Egg! brand, owned by Bohdan Yesipov and Yuriy Shevchenko)