Russian minister says world situation behind bread price rise
Russia`s agriculture minister said Thursday that higher bread prices were being driven by the world situation, and that he saw no need to restrict grain exports.
It was reported earlier that by yearend bread prices could grow by 40% in Moscow, and by 20% on the average throughout Russia.
"There`s a world tendency - grain is becoming more expensive, just like oil and gas," Alexei Gordeyev told journalists following a government meeting when asked why bread prices were rising.
"The country has sufficient grain resources. If we speak about a new harvest, more than 13 million tons have been gathered by now. That is 3 million [30%] more than last year," he said.
Gordeyev said the government is considering measures to stop bread prices from rising, and said he hopes a decision will soon be made on the issue.
He noted that bread in Russia is five times cheaper than in the European Union, but said Russia`s neighboring European countries are preventing the country from selling its bread to them, including by means of "technical barriers."
Gordeyev said the situation would change once Russia becomes a member of the World Trade Organization.
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