The Russian agriculture minister has said he believes the country should produce no less than 80% of the agricultural products it consumes. Speaking in Nizhny Novgorod last week Alexei Gordeyev, who is also a deputy prime minister, observed that even though country’s agricultural output grew 7% in 2001, its imports increased 17%.   "This indicates the western countries are using every means at their disposal to maintain their foothold in the Russian food market," the minister noted.

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