The Ministry of Agriculture approved new prices for the purchasing interventions of the 2018 grain crop. The price of soft food quality wheat Class 1 was set at RUB 10 900 (USD 190) per tonne, wheat Class 2 at RUB 9 900 (USD 173) per tonne, wheat Class 3 at RUB 8 900 (USD 156) per tonne; 4-grade wheat Class 4 at RUB 7 600 (USD 133) per tonne, wheat Class 5 at RUB 6 400 (USD 112) per tonne. The new prices, which include VAT, were cut by 13 to nearly 16 percent from those in 2017 (FPMA Food Policies), as a result of good supplies from last year’s record output, good prospects for this year's crop and low prices in the domestic market. New prices were also set for rye, barley and maize, and are the same for all regions. State purchase interventions are triggered when prices fall below the minimum price level set by the Government and aim to support farmers and stabilize grain prices.