BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

01/07/2009

Belarus diversifies exports of food products

Belarus strives to diversify exports of food products, but still failed to diminish dependence on Russian market, declared Tamara Usacheva, the deputy head of the Main department of foreign economic activity of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of Belarus. In 2008, food producing enterprises of the Ministry exported own products to 40 countries of the world. In the first quarter of 2009, the enterprises exported commodities to 29 countries as opposed to 25 during January-March of 2008.

Belarus shows the highest dynamics of food products supplies to the countries of the CIS (except of Russia). In 2008, food producing enterprises of the Ministry supplied nearly 63.9% of exports to the countries at the sum of 72.2 mln USD.

During January-March of 2009, the export volumes increased by 3.7 times compared to the same period of the last year, to the level of 32.6 mln USD.

At the same time, Belarus still failed to reduce dependence on the main foreign market - Russian market - despite the general widening of the geography of export supplies, according to experts. In 2008, food producing enterprises of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food supplied products to Russia at the sum of 1.4 bln USD, or 88.9% from the general export volumes on foreign markets, up 5.2% compared to the previous year. During the first quarter of, the share of the Russian Federation in the general export volumes of the organizations of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food totaled 86.8% (305.1 mln USD), down 6.8% compared to January-March of 2008. According to experts, Belarusian food producers should concentrate on the task of diversification of export supplies.

The country has low percentage of plant growing products exports, especially products with high processing level, added to the expert.

Source:

http://www.agrimarket.info/showart.php?id=78224

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