YELTSIN VS. LUZHKOV ON NEW FOOD TARIFFS.

In an obvious appeal to rural Russians, Boris Yeltsin welcomed the imposition of new tariffs on foreign food stuffs May 31, but because such tariffs will mean higher prices for urban consumers, Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov attacked them as “irresponsible and provocative.” It is not clear that the tariffs will do much besides driving up prices: domestic agricultural production continues to fall–Moskovskie novosti (no. 38) reports that the 1995 grain harvest will fall to 76-81 million tons, down from the already disastrous 1994 yield–even as Moscow pushes to export more of this grain.

Economic Pressures Seen Behind CIS Integration.