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14 Jun 2013

Better performance of Belarusian agriculture expected

MINSK, 14 June (BelTA) – The Belarusian agriculture should perform better. Prime Minister of Belarus Mikhail Myasnikovich made the statement at the session of the Council of Ministers on 14 June, BelTA has learned.

The head of government remarked that agricultural enterprises fail to deliver in several areas. As an example he mentioned the dairy industry. “In January-May 2013 the output dropped by 1.1%. The falling trend continues in June,” stated Mikhail Myasnikovich. “Milk sales dropped by 3.1%. Cattle and poultry meat sales are 9% below the output”. Meanwhile, the state support for agriculture has increased considerably and the manufacturing infrastructure of the agriculture has been modernized.

According to Mikhail Myasnikovich, gross performance indicators and quality indicators of the agriculture cannot be reduced. In the current five-year term 790 dairy farms, 314 poultry factories, and 16 pig farms have been built and rebuilt. “Therefore, we expect results,” he stressed.

The Prime Minister reminded that Belarus is part of the Customs Union together with Russia and Kazakhstan. Russia is a member of the World Trade Organization while Kazakhstan is about to enter the WTO. “At the same time we lack a system to monitor and respond to actions of our partners in the Single Economic Space if they change national laws. Sometimes it represents difficulties for our enterprises,” he stated. Working to enter the WTO, Kazakhstan is considering more relaxed rules for food trade. The level of tariff protection for several products, which are sensitive for Belarus, including dairy products, pork, may be reduced. This is why it is extremely important to monitor Kazakhstan-WTO negotiations. “The Foreign Ministry, the Economy Ministry, the Agriculture and Food Ministry should get involved in this work immediately,” demanded Mikhail Myasnikovich. He underlined that the need to penetrate new markets to sell food, the need to export more ready-made products. A considerable part of pork and beef is exported as carcasses and half-carcasses, allowing other parties to take added value away from Belarus. An instruction has been given to deal with the problem. “I expect a principled approach from ministries and oblast administrations,” added Mikhail Myasnikovich.

In the future Belarus will have to work as part of the Eurasian Economic Union. In Astana the presidents of Belarus, Russia, and Kazakhstan decided to remove all the provisos and restrictions from trade inside the Single Economic Space by 1 January 2015. It is a very serious task, underlined Mikhail Myasnikovich. “We have already given several instructions on the matter in order to analyze these tariff and non-tariff provisos and restrictions and to submit relevant proposals for consideration of the head of state as soon as possible,” said the Prime Minister.

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