MINSK, June 1. /TASS/. Belarus supply to the Russian agricultural market amounted to $890 mln in January-May 2015, which is 73.3% of the last year’s figure, First Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Leonid Marinich said Monday.
"Traditional Russian markets for the Belarusian agricultural products decreased. In value terms, exports in January-May, according to preliminary estimates, amounted to $890 mln or 73.3% against last year," he said.
According to Marinich, there are problems with distributing Belarusian products, and this is mainly due to its falling prices.
"We are experiencing price pressure. And if in quantitative terms supply increased, in monetary terms it decreased," he said, noting that it is necessary to go beyond the Urals is working with Russia.
According to Marinich, in these circumstances the Agriculture Ministry is actively working to diversify markets for Belarusian products. In particular, a contract for the supply of skimmed milk powder was signed in Israel, there is an agreement for the supply of milk to Iraqi Kurdistan, to China, the shipping of the first trial batch of butter is in progress (28,000 tonnes) and skimmed milk (25,000 tonnes) to Turkey. The contract for the supply of skimmed milk powder for $10 mln to Pakistan was also signed.
Belarus and Russia have agreed upon volumes of supplies of Belarusian agricultural products to the Russian market in 2015. Under the agreement, in 2015 Belarus will deliver to Russia 107,600 tonnes of cheese and farmer cheese, 80,000 tonnes of skimmed milk powder, 36,000 tonnes of whole milk, 60,000 tonnes of concentrated milk, 430,000 tonnes of other dairy products.
In addition, according to the plan, in 2015 the Russian market will receive 132,000 tonnes of beef, 30,000 tonnes of pork, 100,000 tonnes of poultry meat and 95,000 tonnes of other meat products.