Belarus set to double food exports to China in 2023

Belarus expects to nearly double its food supplies to China in 2023, Belarusian Agriculture and Food Minister Igor Brylo told the media in Beijing on 1 March, BelTA has learned.

In 2022, Belarus exported more than $500 million worth of food products to China. “The increase was more than 40%. It is still not the figures the two countries can reach though. China is a huge country. Even though we increased our supplies over the past six years, the potential still remains hugely untapped. This year we have set an ambitious goal to approach $900 million. I think we can do it,” the Belarusian agriculture and food minister said.

Igor Brylo added that he had already held a number of important meetings in China, including with his counterparts. “Our meeting lasted for almost two hours. We discussed all our current issues, including further cooperation in various sectors of agriculture,” he said.

The list of documents to be signed during the president's state visit includes a memorandum on the development of cooperation in agriculture.

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There was also a meeting at the General Customs Administration of the People's Republic of China. The parties discussed the plans to increase the range of Belarusian products sold on the Chinese market. “Today, we sell beef, milk powder, whole milk, and poultry. I have brought documents to launch the supplies of heat-treated products. This applies to poultry and beef. We have also brought the documents to start the supplies of our canned products. Homogenized baby food is very important to us. This is the second set of issues on the agenda of the visit,” Igor Brylo said.

The third one is our strategic direction - the development of the Belarusian National Biotechnology Corporation and the construction of BNBC 3. The project envisages the production of vitamins, amino acids, starch and glucose products. This will make it possible to set up the production of vitamins (B2, B12, C) and new types of amino acids (valine, leucine, isoleucine), which are fundamentally new products both for Belarus and for all CIS countries.

"China set up a state investment agency several years ago. It took on the role of moderator of all such investment projects. I met with the leadership of this agency. Negotiations lasted for more than two hours,” Igor Brylo noted. “They were concerned about prospective sales markets for our products, in particular, vitamins. We laid out this issue in detail. We agreed that literally today we are giving them full-fledged information in terms of every sales market. I have a very strong positive feeling that the BNBC 3 project will get a go-ahead. It's a huge investment."

In addition, two documents were signed with Chinese partners regarding the development of the agricultural sector in Belarus. "In particular, this is good news for Minsk Oblast and Mogilev Oblast. The largest pig-breeding complex in Belarus for 300,000 head will be built in Minsk Oblast. This is a good, very important project for our country. Mogilev Oblast will see the cattle breeding industry modified. First of all, this is about the construction of a separate slaughterhouse. We will build about a thousand lightweight sheds for keeping cattle of Aberdeen-Angus or Limousin breeds. So far, Chinese partners have prioritized Aberdeen-Angus. We had a thorough conversation and signed good intentions. This is a roadmap of sorts for cooperation between the Agriculture and Food Ministry and its colleagues in China," Igor Brylo noted.