C) Read and translate the text with the help of a dictionary. The Candy and Pastry Market of the Altay Province

The research of Altai Commercial Industrial Chamber

A survey conducted in September 2007 by the Center for Social and Market Studies of the Altay Chamber of Commerce and Industry showed that 91% of the province's population buy patisserie products.

Between 2000 and 2007, confectionery consumption increased dramatically in the region, but the respective sales shares of the most sought-after categories of patisserie products hardly changed at all. Cookies are still the preferred product: 45% of the sample polled buy cookies at least once monthly. However, low solvency puts a cap on the growth of the cookies sector. Cheaper biscuits: prianiki, sooshki (ring-shaped crackers) and sukhari (toasts) are preferred. The range of cookies that may be offered on the Russian market is limited. Price is the essential factor. For instance, it would make no sense to market whole raisin cookies (those will be double the price of the usual cookies), crackers filled with ham or cheese, or other unconventional products in Russia.

Upwards of 30 cookie producers, mostly Russian, are present in Altay's market. Local producers supply 69.63% of the regional market, leaving 30.37% to "guest" producers.

In the Altay Province, cookies are produced by many baking plants, medium-sized and small bakeries, but a higher percentage of the market is supplied by major producers. Altay Confectionery of Barnaul is the leading producer, followed by Yashkino Foods of Kemerovo Region. The third runner-up is the Barnaul-based Siberian Manufacturing and Trading.

For purposes of identifying consumer preferences, we had to join the different cookie brands, cookies with identical names made by different producers, and different types of cookies under the same name category as our interviewees made no distinction between those. The most popular cookie brands in the Altay Province are Goroskop, Rucheyok, Russkiye Uzory and Sdobrik.

The region's consumers are rather partial to bulk hard candy, which are very affordable. Altay Confectionery controls most of the bulk candy market (41.66%). The rest of the market is supplied by "guest" producers. Ukrainian producers have recently been dumping huge quantities of patisserie products on the Russian market at low prices, and this trend is also apparent in Altay. Ukraine's AVK confectionary group with factories in Donetsk, Lugansk and Mukachevo, is Altay's second largest vendor of bulk candy. The third runner-up is Konditer-Kursk.

Consumer loyalties to a specific brand of bulk candy are not as pronounced as in the case of chocolates, but the three most popular types appear to be Lobster Tails, Barbaris and Strawberry Cream.

As such, Altay's market of packaged caramel candy has emerged quite recently. The Savinov brand currently boasts the highest sales figures. Among the producers of this brand of packaged candy, Kama Confectionery of Perm is currently the leader.

In the Altay Province, the most popular type of caramel candy in the Savinov range seems to be Bon-Paris, which entered the market a long time ago, but has since retained its appeal.

Candy Factory of Barnaul supplies 34.8% of the region's marmalade. The rest of this market sector is supplied by other Russian producers with Moscow's Udarnitsa holding the lead.

Altay's market features upwards of 30 marmalade varieties. Locals favor the traditional molded jelly type. "Fruit slices", chocolate-coated marmalade and triple-layer marmalade are also in demand.

The marshmallow sector is similar to that of marmalade with Barnaul's Candy Factory supplying 45.5% of the market. Chocolate coated and vanilla marshmallows are the most popular varieties in the Altay Province.

Most consumers (55%) buy their patisserie products in shops; 33.7% buy at markets and wholesale warehouses.

(The Center for Social and Market Studies of the Altai Commercial Industrial Chamber)