MOSCOW: Russia is prepared to stop interfering in the regulation of grain exports when the market stabilises, the Interfax news agency cited Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev as saying on Tuesday.

Moscow has imposed grain export curbs and other measures in an attempt to slow food inflation amid the COVID-19 pandemic and falling household incomes.

“As soon as the situation stabilises, we will be ready to consider various other approaches to regulating this market, including the exclusion of any interference at all,” Interfax cited Patrushev as saying at a meeting in Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma.

“But for now we must make sure that all of our grain is not exported abroad. This is extremely important,” he added.