Business news

3 Apr 2020

Belarusian farmers urged to boost dairy production, expand sales markets

An archive photo

SMOLEVICHI DISTRICT, 3 April (BelTA) – The Belarusian agricultural sector needs to boost the production of dairy products and expand sales markets, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he paid a working visit to Smolevichi District on 3 April, BelTA has learned.

Minsk Oblast Governor Aleksandr Turchin briefed the president on agricultural development in Minsk Oblast. The region ranks third among the Belarusian regions in terms of farming growth rates - 107.4% in farms of all categories and 107.7% in agricultural organizations in January-February 2020. Agricultural output growth was higher year-on-year in all regions of Minsk Oblast. Production of meat and dairy products increased. Minsk Oblast in the country’s third biggest region after Brest Oblast and Grodno Oblast in the average milk yield.

Aleksandr Turchin also mentioned the further level of processing capacities: “Where are we going next, either expanding production or increasing efficiency?

“We need to decide on markets. It is bad if we hold back the volumes. We need markets to increase production,” the president said.

The food supply issue is of top priority, Aleksandr Lukashenko said. In this regard, it is necessary to focus on expanding production. The head of state named China among big promising markets.

Further development of the Chinese market was also raised in a conversation with Chairman of the Board of Directors of Servolux Evgeny Baskin. He said that the company he heads is guided by the principle From Field to Shop Floor. That means that products are not only grown but also processed, and 65% of them are exported, including to China.