Don't panic over food supply, says Russian government

Don't panic over food supply, says Russian government

The Russian government insists there is no need to panic over the availability of basic foods, Qazet.az reports.

"We are fully covering our needs in sugar and buckwheat," said deputy PM Viktoria Abramchenko.

"There is no need to panic, no need to stockpile those goods. There's enough for everyone," she said at a government meeting, reported by Interfax news agency.

She did say however that Russia would increase the area of land used to sow sugar beet and buckwheat this year.

Abramchenko also said that so far the sanctions imposed on Russia did not give grounds to expect any food shortages. She said Russia was expanding imports from "friendly countries" to guarantee stocks of dairy produce, fruit and veg, meat and animal feed.