.No jumps in food prices expected in Russia - first deputy prime

MOSCOW (Itar-Tass) - Russia's First Deputy Prime
Minister Viktor Zubkov voiced optimism that food prices in the country
will not go up.
"I do not think we will see jumps in food prices," he said on Thursday
in an interview with electronic version of the Izvestiya newspaper. In his
words, this year's rich harvest and an overall agricultural sector growth
will help keep the food prices "on a short leash."
He said his optimism was based on the good harvest of potatoes, soy,
sunflowers, sugar beet, and maize. Apart from that, the agricultural
sector in 2011 showed a growth of 12 percent, and even more than 12
percent in the poultry sector.
"We shall keep augmenting agricultural output," he said and stressed
that it is a guarantee of the stability of food prices.