The chairman of Russia's upper house of parliament called on regional authorities on Wednesday to react quickly to food price inflation caused by the record heatwave and drought.

"Forest fires are followed by a price fire which is rapidly spreading across Russia and can cause harm to citizens and local economies comparable to damage from fire," Sergei Mironov said.

"More and more reports on galloping inflation on staple food are appearing. About surging demand for long-term storage products such as cereals, macaroni and flour. The craze is stirred up by rumors of future food shortages and price growth because of the drought that hit the European part of Russia.

"All legal opportunities to tighten supervision over the presence of product reserves, over pricing at local markets and over trade companies' actions must be used. Citizens must be quickly informed about the real situation with food and about measures taken to normalize it."

Mironov suggested special food funds could be set up in some regions to help the most needy.

The abnormal heat and drought in Russia this year has destroyed a quarter of the country's crops forcing the cabinet to ban grain exports and the Agriculture Ministry to cut its grain forecast to 60 million tons from 97 million tons last year.

The government has repeatedly said there are no grounds for bread prices to rise. President Dmitry Medvedev has ordered the government and the prosecutor's office to monitor prices on the agriculture market and foil those trying to cash in on the situation.

The state statistics service registered an acceleration of weekly consumer price growth to 0.2 percent between August 3 and 9 for the first time in the last few months as grain, flour and cereals prices increased. Previously, weekly inflation rates have not exceed 0.1 percent.

MOSCOW, August 18 (RIA Novosti)