Belarus’ farm exports up 9.7% in January-February

MINSK, 13 April (BelTA) - In January-February 2012 agricultural companies of Belarus exported $408.6 million worth of goods, up 9.7% as against the same time last year, BelTA learnt from the main department for foreign economic activity of the Agriculture and Food Ministry of Belarus. Over the first two months Belarus increased shipments of beef (up 7.9%), poultry (up 1.8 times), sausages (2 times), canned meat (28%), animal oil (3.6 times), skimmed milk powder (2.8%), and curd (16.1%). At the same time there was registered a drop in the exports of full cream powder (down 15.6%), pork (2 times), and cheese (14.2%). Goods dominating in the exports of the companies subordinate to the Agriculture and Food Ministry are dairy products, meat and meat products, casein and eggs. Russia is the main foreign trade partner of the Belarusian agricultural companies. According to the National Statistics Committee, in January-February 2012 Russia imported $369.5 million worth of Belarusian agricultural produce. The Russian Federation accounted for 90.4% of Belarus’ total farm exports, down 1.8% from January-February 2011. Over the first two months of 2012 Belarusian agricultural companies sold into 55 Russian regions. The exports to the CIS, apart from Russia, increased 1.8 times from January-February 2011 to $28.2 million. The main agricultural exports to the CIS are dairy products (67.4% of the total) and meat products (26.8%). The exports to the non-CIS totaled $10.9 million in January-February 2012 (80% as against the same months last year). The country earned $9.2 million from the exports to the EU and $1.1 million from the deliveries to Asia. Casein (66.3% of the total) and flax-fiber (15.7%) made up the bulk of the exports to the non-CIS. These January and February Belarus sold its farm produce into 30 countries (36 countries in January-February 2011). The largest importers of the Belarusian agricultural products are Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Germany, Poland, and China. In all, in January-February 2012 the Agriculture and Food Ministry of Belarus posted trade surplus of $308.1 million, up $48.5 million as against the same time a year ago. In January-February 2012 the import totaled $100.5 million (89.1.1% to January-February 2011).

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