Restrictions on wheat exports may be lifted

The restrictions on the export of wheat may be lifted soon, Prime Minister Vlad Filat said in a Government meeting on April 20. The subject is to be discussed with a mission of the International Monetary Fund that is expected to come to Chisinau at the end of April, Info-Prim Neo reports. The Premier said the decision to temporarily stop the export of wheat was right as it helped maintain the prices of wheat and bakery products. Minister of Agriculture Vasile Bumacov said the decision was timely. He informed that 79,000 more tonnes of wheat are needed until the new harvest. The stores contain 72,000 tonnes of wheat. Flour is weekly imported from Ukraine. The Government halted the export of wheat on February 2, 2011 as sales trebled after the prices abroad went up. The restrictions were imposed in order to prevent a shortage of wheat on the home market.