Prices for Russian grain may double

The reduced harvest this year due to droughts may result in the price of grain doubling, the president of the National Union of Grain Producers said. Pavel Skurikhin said that selling third class grain for less than 5,500 rubles per ton was not efficient. Last year, the prices were ranging from 2,400 rubles to 3,300 rubles in the south of Russia.

Skurikhin said that a price of 3,000 rubles was optimal for grain in Siberia.

He also said that that 7 out of 14 Russian regions had introduced emergency regimes over the drought, the second dry year in a row.

Skurikhin believes that the price for grain should not affect the consumers. But if it reaches 8,500 rubles per ton as in 2008 they will use the anti-monopoly agency to prevent speculation on the market, ITAR-TASS reports.