Vitebsk meat, dairy exports to China up more than twofold in 2020

Enterprises affiliated with the state association Vitebsk Concern "Meat and Dairy Products" more than doubled their exports to China in 2020, BelTA learned from the concern.

The enterprises of the concern delivered about $6 million worth of products to the Chinese market. The concern has been working hard to increase exports to China, the largest consumer of food products. In 2021 Belarusian exporters are determined to make the most of the the National Pavilion at the G-Hub exhibition complex in Shanghai. This will help promote products of the concern and boost its exports to China.

The total export of the companies of the concern in 2020 equaled $194 million, up by 6.7% year-on-year. The concern reported a foreign trade surplus of $185 million. It exports products to 26 counties. In 2020, the concern expanded its geographic reach thanks to getting access to the markets of Turkmenistan, Israel, the Philippines, Namibia, and Qatar. Its main export items include cheese (over 43% of the total), canned milk products, whole milk products, butter (9% each), skimmed milk powder (7.5%), meat by-products (4.6%), with other products accounting for about 20% of the total export.

Vitebsk Concern "Meat and Dairy Products" increased its presence in foreign markets thanks to its major exports. For example, export of milk powder soared by 1.9 times, whey powder – by 1.4 times, cheese – by 20%, canned milk products and beef by-products – by 10%. The concern's sales policy focuses on expanding geographic reach and increasing export of products with high profit margin.

The concern in looking into ways to boost sales in the markets of the Persian Gulf countries and the entire Asian region in 2021. At the same time, Russia and the EAEU member states remain its main foreign economic partners. Plans are also in place to advance cooperation with these partners by means of increasing shipments and expanding the range of products, taking into account that the companies affiliated with the concern launched the production of more than 330 new types of meat and dairy products in 2020 alone.

In 2021, the EAEU member states intend to introduce the marking of dairy products. Vitebsk Concern "Meat and Dairy Products" has been gearing up for this since 2020. It has already analyzed the list of its products taking into account the plans to dairy products marking. The concern is also looking into various ways to apply markings, either using software or typographically. The concern has also updated its product cards at the pool of electronic passports EPASS.by. All dairy enterprises of the concern have registered with the state product marking system and are purchasing the necessary equipment and installing software to implement the measures to introduce marking. The campaign will run in 2021 in several stages: cheese, ice cream, and other types of edible ice will be marked from 1 June, dairy products with the shelf life of less than 40 days – from 1 September, and dairy products with the shelf life of over 40 says – from 1 October.

Vitebsk Concern "Meat and Dairy Products" is one of Belarus' largest associations manufacturing meat and dairy products, flour and cereals, horticulture products, baked goods, confectionery products, animal feeds, premixes, and canned fish. It comprises 18 processing enterprises, 10 service organizations, 3 trade organizations, and 111 agricultural organizations. The concern coordinates work of seven agricultural associations set up in line with Decree No.70 “On the development of the agricultural industry in Vitebsk Oblast”.

Written by: belta.by