Business news

MINSK, 6 July (BelTA) – Belarus’ meat export surged by almost 15% in January-May 2018, Belarusian Deputy Agriculture and Food Minister Igor Brylo told a press conference in Minsk on 6 July, BelTA learned.

“In January-May 2018 Belarus exported meat and dairy products worth about $1.2 billion, of which approximately $800 million came from dairy exports, about $400 million from meat shipments. This is roughly the level of the previous year. With regard to meat products, the export rose by almost 15% in January-May,” Igor Brylo said.

He recalled that in 2017 Belarus exported meat and dairy products worth of $3.1 billion ($2.2 billion came from dairy exports and $0.9 billion from the export of meat products). “We seek to beat these figures this year,” the deputy minister said.

Export diversification is one of the priorities for the Belarusian livestock industry. “We are gradually reducing the share of the Russian market in total exports of livestock products. In 2017 Russia accounted for 90.3% of the total export of Belarusian dairy products. In January-May this year its share dropped to 82.7% as the Belarusian producers have advanced to new countries. We are branching out into the markets in Asia, America, Africa, Europe. We have been working very hard in this direction,” Igor Brylo stressed.

In January-May 2018 Belarus exported dairy products to 39 countries and meat products to 16 countries.