MINSK, 5 February (BelTA) – In 2019 the export of Belarusian agricultural products and food rose by 4.5% from 2018 to $5.519 billion, BelTA learned from Aleksei Bogdanov, Head of the Central Office for Foreign Economic Activities of the Belarusian Agriculture and Food Ministry, at a press conference on 5 February.
The share of agricultural products and food in Belarus' total export in 2019 amounted to 16.8%. Belarus exported more milk and dairy products, rapeseed oil, ready or tinned fish, tinned fruits and vegetables, soya bean oil, poultry meat, eggs, chocolate and other ready cocoa-containing products, potatoes. As much as 84.7% of this export went to countries of the Eurasian Economic Union, with the share of the European Union at 4.4% and the share of other countries at 10.9%.
The geographical diversification of export is getting stronger. In 2019 Belarus exported agricultural products and food to 104 countries. The new markets included countries of Asia (Afghanistan), Africa (Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Kenya, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Sudan, Uganda), America and the Caribbean (Belize, Cuba, Uruguay), the European Union (Luxembourg, Finland) as well as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Afghanistan started buying whey and skimmed milk powder, Angola and Burkina Faso – malt, Benin, Mozambique, Niger – skimmed milk powder, Cuba – tinned milk, milk powder, Uruguay – alcoholic beverages, Finland – fur and fur raw materials, Albania – sugar and potatoes, Bosnia and Herzegovina – potatoes.
The volume and choice of Belarusian exports shipped to China continue growing: in 2019 export rose by 59.6% to $131.5 million.
