MOSCOW, September 28 (Itar-Tass) — First Vice -premier of the Russian government Viktor Zubkov and Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin have visited the Danilovsky food market in the Moscow southern district on Wednesday. The two officials walked down market rows, paying attention to prices; both dropped in at a laboratory where all the market goods undergo preliminary checks.
“Now, the Danilovsky market might be called an exemplary one, " the mayor said. "It used to be quite different, while now it is clean and everything is in order here," the mayor said. Several months ago it was a mere junk. This market is a mere beginning yet, while all the other markets are to be improved to match, the mayor said.
'We should do everything possible to ensure order at agricultural markets," Zubkov stressed.
Walking down the market premises Zubkov met director- general of a company delivering water- melons, Shakhin Nuriyev, whom Zubkov had earlier met during his visit to the Volgograd region in August. Then, an agreement was signed on Zubkov's initiative between the administration of the Volgograd region and the Moscow department for trade and services, which called to encourage the development of the market of agricultural products.
Trade has been brisk at the Moscow market, where Nuriyev brought some 1.5 tons of water melons, he said. Nevertheless, Nuriyev stressed that any farmer would like to sell water melons at a higher price, at least 7. 5 roubles per kilogram. In reply, Sobyanin said that Moscow organizes special food fairs on weekends, where farmers sell their products directly to customers for prices the farmers ask with no fees charged for leasing a market counter.
Zubkov invited all the farmers to take part in an exhibition "Golden Autumn" which is opening at the Central Exhibition Center on October 7 and will continue for ten days.