August 25 2004, 18:19 APK-Inform

Russia: governor banned to carry grain out of Krasnodar Krai to prevent farmers' fraud

According to Russian newspaper "Novye Izvestiya", unprecedented measures are being taken in Krasnodar Krai of Russian Federation (the main grain growing region in the south) to prevent removals of new crop grain out of the region. Reinforced police brigades have been stationed along all the whole length of all the filed-to-elevator autoroutes; at the border of the region all the tracks are subjected to strict controls.

The newspaper cited the worlds of local Governor Alexander Tkachov, who said at his meeting with law-enforcement bodies that "there are fears that some dodgers from among top managers of farming enterprises will try to shove the grain on the side for a song, in order not to pay taxes. We must not allow this to happen."

According to the newspaper the local agricultural producers have owed 2 billion roubles to the "regional food fund" and have accumulated another 450 million roubles of debt as an unpaid salary to their own workers (29 roubles = $1).

"Until the agrarians pay out their debts, they have no right to carry grain out of the Krai", said the governor.