MINSK, 14 November (BelTA) - In January-September 2017 Belarus' agricultural exports to Russia amounted to $1.7 billion, up 5.9% over the same period last year. The share of Russia in the total export of companies affiliated with the Agriculture and Food Ministry declined by 4.4%, Aleksei Bogdanov, the head of the main department for foreign economic affairs at the Belarusian Agriculture and Food Ministry, told BelTA on the sidelines of Prodexpo 2017.
“In January-September Russia's share in the total volume of Belarusian agricultural exports dropped by 4.4% over the same period a year earlier to 90.4%. But it does not mean that we are losing the market. We have been ramping up the production across the board, and our strategy is to expand into new market while maintaining the positions in the Russian market,” Aleksei Bogdanov said.
He stressed that gradual reduction of the share of Russia in total exports is the result of the diversification policy. “The volumes that we add in the production of milk, meat, wheat and other food items go to new markets. This is a difficult process, but we are well aware that Russia has been investing heavily in its own agricultural industry and will step up production volumes. To avoid overcrowding in the common market of the Union State, we have been working to expand into the markets of third countries. Therefore, the share of exports to third countries is gradually increasing. This is the strategy we plan to stick to,” Aleksei Bogdanov said.
The 23rd edition of the international wholesale exhibition Prodexpo is running at the Belexpo national exhibition center in Minsk on 14-17 November. The expo features food products of national and foreign producers: bakery and confectionery products, meat and meat products, sausages, dairy products, fruit and vegetables, non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, tea, coffee, grocery, frozen products, baby food, and others.
The exhibition is organized in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Ministry, the Trade Ministry, Belgospishcheprom Concern, Minsk City Hall and Belkoopsoyuz.
