MINSK, 9 November (BelTA) – A unique Belarusian manufacturer can convert raw materials worth hundreds of U.S. dollars into products worth millions of U.S. dollars. Vasilina Akhramovich, Director for Economy and Finance at the private joint-stock company (ZAO) Belarusian National Biotechnology Corporation (BNBC), mentioned it in an episode of the project After the Fact: Lukashenko's Decisions on BelTA's YouTube channel.
In her words, one tonne of raw grain costs about $200 on the world market. After several stages of gradual processing in the BNBC's amino acid manufacturing division (six in this case) it is converted into a finished product worth about $8,000 per tonne.
The company intends to implement another project – the long-term growth project BNBC 3. It provides for starting the production of vitamins, amino acids, starch products and glucose products. It will allow starting the manufacturing of products, which were previously unavailable in Belarus and all the CIS states – vitamins (B2, B12, C) and new kinds of amino acids (valine, leucine, isoleucine).
Vasilina Akhramovich explained that that manufacturing process is more complicated than the production of essential amino acids: the number of so-called processing stages will rise from 6 to 14. “Respectively it is a much more complicated and advanced process. The added value is much higher. Why? Because those are no longer animal feed products but products for pharmaceutical and food applications. Respectively the value is higher. That project is designed to process corn. If [raw materials] are priced at $200-250, it will make a product that will cost tens of thousands of U.S. dollars. Or millions of dollars if we talk about pharmaceutical quality [for a comparable volume of finished product],” she said.
BelTA reported earlier that on 4 November Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko visited the Belarusian National Biotechnology Corporation as the company officially launched the production of compound feed and amino acids.
The BNBC has been working in pilot commercial operation mode up till now. The plants demonstrated a good result, including a financial one.
“Today is a historical day! I am very glad that in these complicated times, in 2022 despite various difficulties, sanctions-based restrictions in anticipation of 7 November we remain true to a remarkable tradition! Our country and its people have been given a most magnificent gift. A gift made with our own hands, our own brain! The Belarusian National Biotechnology Corporation has been created in the republic. Neither Europe nor the post-Soviet space has anything like it,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
“We say that in current conditions grain is the new world gold. What our corporation, the BNBC makes is, without an exaggeration, genuine cut diamonds. It is difficult to believe but the place was an empty field before March 2019 when foundation was laid here. A colossal amount of work has been done over the course of 3.5 years. Today we are inaugurating an entire complex of plants making combined feed and amino acids. I emphasize: it was a solemn opening of the already tested manufacturing facilities,” the head of state said.
