Business news

MINSK, 17 March (BelTA) – Belarus and Russia established 2015 import quotas for food products during the joint session of the Belarusian Agriculture and Food Ministry and the Russian Agriculture Ministry in Minsk on 17 March, BelTA has learned.

The sides discussed the development of the bilateral cooperation in agriculture and reviewed the forecast demand and supply balance sheets of the Belarus-Russia Union State for dairy and meat products for 2015.

Russian Agriculture Minister Nikolai Fyodorov told journalists that the Russian Federation is eager to increase the import of Belarusian agricultural products in 2015. First of all, he spoke about meat and meat products and also milk and dairy products. The Belarusian side accepted the proposal. Nikolai Fyodorov noted that the amount of food supplies agreed on 17 March completely satisfies the Russian side.

The participants of the session agreed that Belarus will export to Russia 80,000 tonnes of skimmed milk powder, 36,000 tonnes of full milk powder, 72,000 tonnes of butter, 176,000 tonnes of cheese and cottage cheese, and 390,300 tonnes of meat and meat products, including 132,000 tonnes of beef, 30,000 tonnes of pork, and 100,000 tonnes of poultry meat.

Belarus and Russia have been compiling annual food balance sheets since 2008 in order to protect domestic producers.

The participants of the session noted that the Belarus-Russia trade is constantly growing. In 2014 the volume of bilateral trade in agricultural products went up by 3.1% as against 2013 and totaled $5.9 billion.