The Reserve Agency was authorized by the Government to provide 8,670 tonnes of food wheat from the state's reserves to the bakeries. The wheat is provided as a loan returnable by 1 September 2011, Info-Prim Neo reports. Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Vasile Bumacov has said the measure is intended to counter price rises. The wheat will be distributed among bakeries from 7 districts – Briceni, Criuleni, Drochia, Edinet, Falesti, Hincesti, Orhei, as well as from the municipalities of Chisinau and Balti. The latter will receive the largest amount – 3,000 tonnes. On March 1, the Balti Baking Company raised the prices of bread by 20 percent on average, explaining it on higher wheat and fuel prices. As of February 15, the available amounts of food wheat in Moldova totaled 121,000 tonnes, at an internal demand of 130,000 tonnes. To compensate, Moldova each month imports some 2,500 to 3,000 tonnes of wheat from Ukraine. Last month, the price of top quality wheat rose from $315 to $390 per tonne.