Business news

MINSK, 10 June (BelTA) – A Belarusian orchard will be planted in Russia’s Sakhalin Oblast, Belarusian Agriculture and Food Minister Leonid Zayats told reporters. On 10 June, he attended a ceremony to present awards for outstanding achievements in agriculture in 2015 held on the sidelines of Belagro 2016, BelTA has learned.

“Sakhalin Oblast authorities have invited us to plant an orchard. Specialists of our research center for foodstuffs will visit Sakhalin to have a look at the plot of land we have been offered and plant a Belarusian orchard there using Belarusian technologies,” the minister noted.

Leonid Zayats said that Belarus has plans to export planting stock to Russia. “We have enough planting material. In Belarus, we will also work to cultivate intensive-type orchards. We plan to develop this line of business to cut down on imports,” the minister explained.

Leonid Zayats pointed out that Belarus has more than RUB400 million worth of contracts with Sakhalin Oblast. Six documents aimed at bolstering bilateral cooperation were concluded at a recent meeting at the Belarusian Agriculture and Food Ministry. The documents include a cooperation agreement with the research center for agriculture mechanization of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus to supply three potato sorting lines to the tune of €721,000, a cooperation agreement with Minsk Tractor Works (MTZ trademark) to ship 50 tractors to Sakhalin Oblast, and contracts with Lidagroprommash, Belkommunmash, Bobruiskagromash, and MAZ-Kupava.

Besides, Sakhalin Oblast is eager to build a joint baby food production enterprise.