Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 6 June (BelTA) – The government investments in the agricultural industry generate good returns for the state budget, Belarus Agriculture and Food Minister Leonid Zayats told the media during the international agricultural expo Belagro 2017 on 6 June, BelTA has learned.

“In 2011-2015 the Belarusian agricultural industry received $8.3 billion through government investments. Over the five years the currency earnings from the sale of products amounted to $25 billion. This means that the government support for Belarus’ agribusiness has paid off. This is a solid business. We need to invest more in order to earn more,” Leonid Zayats underlined.

Belagro 2017 is held in the trade and logistics center Globus in the agro-town Shchomyslitsa, Minsk District from 6 to 10 June. The expo features the most promising areas in crop production, cattle and poultry breeding, the latest product processing, packaging and storage technologies, and also a variety of agricultural equipment.

Attending the expo this year are representatives of nearly 500 companies from 25 countries. The forum comprises some international specialized exhibitions: Belarusian Farm, Belarusian Products, Food Industry, and Food Processing. Cooling. Packaging. The expo is set to feature conferences, seminars, presentations and workshops, as well as some contests, among them the taste-off Taste Champion and the competitions Best Farmer, Best Brood Cow. This is the first edition of the expo to hold an open cattle auction.