Russia opens door to grain export limits Russia, one of the world's top five wheat exporters, on Friday put agricultural commodities markets on alert by suggesting a policy U-turn that could see the introduction of grain export restrictions if domestic prices rise further. Andrei Belousov, Russia's economic development minister, told reporters that a grain export ban was still possible. The comments were the first indication from a senior government official that Moscow could reintroduce the kind of restrictions that it imposed in 2010-11 after a drought triggered a crop failure. Talking on the sidelines at a conference, Mr Belousov said it was "completely possible" the Russian government would limit grain sales overseas. Russia's grain crop has been affected by a severe drought and agricultural commodities traders have been concerned that its exportable grain surplus was limited. But hours later, Arkady Dvorkovich, the deputy prime minister who is in charge of farming policy, said that Russia would not impose grain export restrictions, leaving traders on edge about future grain sales from a key producer. Although Moscow's official line for the last two months has been that it has no plans to ban exports, some grain experts worry that it would turn to informal and less obvious tools, such as the reducing access to the railway, to slowdown transport to the ports and, thus, reduce the flow of grain leaving the country. Mr Belousov said any decision would depend on domestic grain prices. He said: "Of course we are simply obliged to protect the internal market...we will not allow a surge in gran and food prices." Andrey Sizov, director at agriculture consultancy Sovecon in Moscow, said that domestic grain prices, which had started to edge up over the past few weeks, had jumped about 4 per cent this week as farmers have held back their grains in anticipation of higher prices. Prices have been rising about $2-3 a tonne in the past few weeks. This week prices have jumped by about $10," said Mr Sizov, adding that the prices were starting to affect the livestock region in the central part of the country. In Paris, European milling wheat for delivery in January fell 0.6 per cent to €261.50 a tonne, while CBOT December wheat rose 1.3 per cent to $8.90¾ a bushel.