RUSSIA WILL LIKELY IMPORT MORE GRAIN THIS YEAR

RUSSIA WILL LIKELY IMPORT MORE GRAIN THIS YEAR

. Despiteearlier statements to the contrary, Moscow almost certainly willbe forced to import at least 10 million tons of grain this yearbecause of a shortfall in the harvest brought on by drought andthe traditional problems of Russian agriculture, the Russian NationalInstitute for Agricultural Economics told Interfax July 12. Theharvest this year is projected to be 70 million tons, down from81.3 tons last year and 99 million tons in 1993. Meanwhile, anaide to Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin said that he doubtedthat the new tariffs on imported food would improve the situationin Russian agriculture. Mikhail Tarasov’s comments came as foodprices shot up in Moscow stores, and as the Duma passed a resolutiondemanding that the tariff hikes be rescinded, Russian televisionreported July 11.

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