MINSK, 29 April (BelTA) – Belarus will be working to increase export of food, maintain presence in traditional markets and get access to new ones, Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Subbotin told journalists following the meeting hosted by the head of state on 29 April to discuss the current situation in the agricultural sector of the country, BelTA has learned.
Aleksandr Subbotin hailed significant achievements of the Belarusian agricultural sector, including ensuring food security. “Now we will focus on increasing sales and entering new markets. This is the priority,” he stressed.
According to Aleksandr Subbotin, the situation with Belarus' export is fluid. “We might lose our position in one market but at the same time gain a foothold in another two or three . Analyses show that food supplies will remain important. The world is starting to notice the deficit of food and the prices for all foods are starting to climb. This might sound as an overstatement, but Belarus is one of the world's major food manufacturers and exporters. We realize this and will try to keep this position,” Aleksandr Subbotin noted. “This is not an easy task, but thanks to our hard and careful work, we are making headway, albeit slowly,” he added.
In 2020, Belarus' export of agricultural and food products amounted to $5.8 billion, 4.3% up over 2019. Revenues in foreign currency went up by $240 million. Belarus supplied its products to 104 countries in 2019 and to 116 countries in 2020. In Q1 2021, the revenues in foreign currency grew by $72 million year-on-year.
Steps to boost export were on the agenda of the meeting hosted by the head of state on 29 April. According to Aleksandr Subbotin, such meetings with the president and governors are a good tradition and are important. The agricultural sector has become a high-technology sector embracing many various branches, and it is important to ensure cooperation between them, outline development areas, and devise a strategy for the future. Thanks to the participation of the governors, the participants of the meeting were able to address several complicated issues related to the operation of the agricultural sector, Aleksandr Subbotin added.
