Business news

MINSK, 30 November (BelTA) - Belarus plans to increase the exports of its agricultural products to $7 billion by 2020, Belarus’ Deputy Prime Minister Mikhail Rusy said at the joint meeting of the parliament on 30 November, BelTA has learned.

“Labor productivity in the agricultural sector should be increased 1.4 times by 2020. The return on sales should make up 10%, while the exports of agricultural products should reach $7 billion,” the vice premier said.

According to Mikhail Rusy, the agro-industrial complex has been showing positive momentum this year. “We have received a good harvest of grain, colza, and sugar beet. Cattle breeding is vibrant. Apart from the production results, significant changes took place in the social sector. The State Rural Revival and Development Program and the State Rural Sustainable Development Program for 2011-2015 envisaged the construction of social infrastructure at 1481 agro towns in 2005-2010,” he said.

The vice premier emphasized that in the coming years the industry will have to work in the conditions of tough competition on the world market and to address the challenges the country's agro-industrial complex is facing. They are outlined in the State Program for Agrarian Business Development in Belarus for 2016-2020. “The top priority goal is to meet the needs of the domestic market and increase the export potential through more efficient production and competitiveness of products,” Mikhail Rusy said.

The vice premier stated that by 2020 grain production in the country should reach 10 million tonnes, not counting maize, milk production should make up about 9 million tonnes, potatoes - 6 million tonnes, sugar beet - more than 5 million tonnes, livestock and poultry - about 2 million tonnes. “This is quite an ambitious task, as it will require an annual increase in the production by 3-4% in agriculture and 5.6% in food industry,” he said.