The United Nations' food agency has called a special meeting of policy makers to discuss the recent rise in global food prices. The announcement came after Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin extended the country's ban on grain exports yesterday. This added to fears that prices of food staples would continue to rise. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization said the meeting will take place on 24 September, probably in Rome. The agency said in the past few weeks, global cereal markets experienced a sudden surge in international wheat prices on concerns over wheat shortages. It said the purpose of holding the meeting is for exporting and importing countries to engage in constructive discussions on appropriate reactions to the current market situation.