MINSK, 16 February (BelTA) – Fur farming enterprises need to focus more on processing and making finished products rather than raw materials, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said at the general meeting of the Belarusian national union of consumer societies Belkoopsoyuz in Minsk on 16 February, BelTA has learned.
Speaking about the development of fur farming, the president noted that the fur farms account for almost 90% of the national fur farming output. "This is a promising line of business, although it is difficult and vulnerable to external risks," Aleksandr Lukashenko said. He noted that Europe is destroying this industry so a place in the market is opening. "Well, grab it and hold to it," Aleksandr Lukashenko suggested.
"The state has provided you with very solid support in a difficult period. Now you are on your own," the president said. However, in order to ensure further development of the industry, it is important to honestly answer questions about the quality of domestic furs and the availability of a well-functioning system for processing and manufacturing. After all, now most of the skins produced in the country are sold as raw materials.
In 2023, the export of fur amounted to almost 520,500 pieces (98.8% as against 2022) for $13 million, that of tanned and dressed fur skins – 121,000 pieces (47%) for $2 million.
“But here’s some ‘amazing’ numbers. We exported as many as 23 fur coats in 2022 and none in 2023," Aleksandr Lukashenko said. “At the same time, Belarus imported fur goods worth $2.3 million in 2022 and more than $2 million in 2023.
"Is it so difficult to make fur coats, hats and anything else you need in cold weather? It may be not easy, but we know how to do it," the president said.
Aleksandr Lukashenko urged to observe the strictest technological and production discipline in everything: from the safety of livestock to the sale of finished products, and to payment for them.
