Russia capable of significantly boosting food exports, priority goes to countries with hunger risks - Putin

MOSCOW. June 17 (Interfax) - Russia is capable of significantly increasing exports of food and fertilizers, and priority will be given to countries at risk for growth in the number of starving people, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

"Russia, guaranteeing its domestic food security, its domestic market, is capable of significantly increasing exports of food and fertilizers. For example, our grain deliveries next season could rise to 50 million tonnes," Putin said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

"We'll send our supplies on a priority basis to those countries where there's the highest need for food and where there are risks of the number of starving people increasing. We're talking about African countries and regions of the Middle East first and foremost," he said.