Business news

MINSK, 17 July (BelTA) - Moldova is interested in the new models of tractors by the Minsk Tractor Works (MTZ trademark), Moldovan Deputy Economy Minister Octavian Calmic as he accompanied Moldova President Nicolae Timofti during his visit to the enterprise, BelTA has learned.

"We have long-standing partnership with MTZ. For five or six years we have been assembling tractors. Dozens of tractors are delivered to Chisinau monthly. We will be expanding our cooperation. Now MTZ has started making new tractor models: more powerful, more up-to-date. We are interested in using them in our agriculture," he said.

Director of the MTZ-Leader trading house in Moldova Oleg Golopyatov said that now the trading house is working to replace a number of tractors with more powerful vehicles. "The agricultural companies in Moldova merge, become bigger. Thus we are set to sell more powerful tractors. Earlier we would sell one or two 130hp tractors a year. Last year we sold 30 units. Moreover, we have marketed a 220hp tractor and already sold two units. We hope that this equipment will prove to be quite promising for Moldova," he said.

According to Oleg Golopyatov, the Moldovan market consumes from 400 to 700 Belarus tractors a year. "We occupy a leading position in the market: Belarus tractors account for around 65% of the market of all tractors, 95% of the market of tractors ranging from 80 to 100hp. This is our market, and our positions are strong. Today we have 14 branches across the country. Traditionally, Belarus tractors are used in vineyards and gardens of Moldova. We will continue to work in this area too," he explained.

Oleg Golopyatov said that last year the turnover of the trading house totaled about $10 million. "If the economic situation allows, and unfortunately it is not easy in Moldova now, we will increase it," he said.

The MTZ-Leader trading house was opened in Moldova in 2004. Some 4,000 tractors have been supplied since then. The trading house started out with the authorized capital of $2,000. Now it has grown a few hundred times," said Oleg Golopyatov.

Minsk Tractor Works (MTZ trademark) was founded in 1946. It is part of the system of enterprises run by the Belarusian Industry Ministry. The company offers over 120 models and modifications of tractors and vehicles with over 200 options for all kinds of climatic and operational conditions. For the last few years MTZ has kept an 8-10% share of the global market of wheeled tractors. MTZ operates in over 60 countries and has assembly plants in Russia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, China, Romania, Egypt, Serbia, Algeria, Venezuela, and other countries. The industrial group MTZ comprises 11 enterprises.