Zubkov said the rise in food prices is speculative and offers to work with the business
Russia is not facing food shortages because of drought, and growth spurts in the prices of food products in the regions have no economic base, said first Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov."No food shortages in the country will not be", - said Zubkov at the first meeting of the interdepartmental working group on drought relief.As RIA "news" the first Deputy Prime Minister believes that the rise of prices reported from the regions, speculative. He appealed to the regional authorities with a proposal to "work with business" on this issue."This hype has absolutely no economic basis. The state has full resources both financial and commodity, including grain from the intervention Fund," he said.Therefore, Zubkov stressed, you need to "work quietly"."I would ask the FAS to provide continuous monitoring of prices on grain and products based on meat and milk and apply a rigid set of measures against violators," - said Zubkov.Earlier, Viktor Zubkov has said that the shortage of grain and bread does not threaten Russia, despite the drought and a state of emergency in 17 Russian regions.On 5 July, the agriculture Ministry has lowered its forecast for the crop year from 90 to 85 million tons. This is the second adjustment less: previously, the Ministry was waiting for the grain harvest of 97 million tonnes in 2009. According to the Ministry of agriculture, the drought has killed crops on 9.6 million hectares. This is the fifth part of the cultivated lands (48 million hectares).According to the President of the Russian grain Union Arkady Zlochevsky, the drought that lasts longer than a month in the Central regions of Russia, can add 1.5-2 percentage points to the projected inflation rate of 6-7%. In the Russian grain Union believe that increasing the cost of bread in sight, but on livestock production crop failure this year may impact. Due to the fact that the villagers will be cutting cattle, may be a shortage of milk.From regions already underway information about high demand on the flour and raising prices on some products. So, Regnum news Agency reports that in the Tambov region during the week the wheat flour price increased by 14%, pasta - by 8.7%, millet - by 9.5%, buckwheat - by 15%, barley - by 18%, sugar is up almost 11%.The Minister of agriculture and food of Tatarstan Marat Akhmetov promised that "before the new year the price of bread will not be revised, because the Republican's supply of grain and flour covers the need". But their potatoes, carrots, beets, cabbage and sugar the Republic is not enough.But the Russians because of the drought are already preparing for higher prices. As a result of a survey conducted by the Fund "Public opinion" about the possibility of rising prices for basic food products, it was found that 73% of respondents expect an increase in the cost of goods in the coming months. A little over a month ago to this tended only 65% of citizens.Respondents noted that prices are already rising. Thus, respondents believe that over the last month is quite noticeable increased the prices of sugar, meat and poultry, milk and dairy products, bread, alcohol, grains and pasta, vegetable oil. That is almost the entire group of products of the consumer basket. The cause of rising prices, the Russians believe the drought prevailing in the Central regions of the country, which destroyed almost the entire crop of most agricultural products.Rosstat until I noticed the price change. According to the Agency, in the period from 13 to 19 July the inflation rate was only 0.1%. At approximately the same dynamics as it grew past few weeks.