Deputy PM says Russia has enough buckwheat reserves, no deficit

MOSCOW, Jul 21 (PRIME) -- Russia has sufficient reserves of buckwheat to satisfy local needs, there is no deficit in the grain, Deputy Prime Minister Viktoria Abramchenko said at a government meeting with President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday.

“I would like to stress that we have sufficient reserves of buckwheat to satisfy Russians’ needs, and there is no deficit in the grain,” she said.

Abramchenko also said that the actions, taken earlier by the government, helped to prevent prices for sugar and sunflower seed oil from increasing, and to keep the production.

Putin said that inflation of basic food items is an urgent problem, and ordered the Federal Antimonopoly Service to pay closer attention to food prices in retail chains.

Abramchenko said that grocery retailers are ready to reduce prices for vegetables in their stores following a cut in wholesale purchase prices, and that the situation with retail prices for vegetables will improve significantly by September.

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