Alexey Bogdanov: Belarus reduces exports of milk powder

‘Despite the fact that this is the best-selling category in terms of diversification, supplied by Belarus last year to 32 countries of the world, we are going to reduce exports, because now it is unprofitable,’ the speaker said. ‘We will keep whey, as it is an exchange commodity, but the volume of supplies abroad will decrease.

He stressed that now there is a new trend in Belarus – ‘the transfer of raw material flows to the production of more marginal final processing products.’ All this is happening according to the strategy developed by the state until 2025. It includes the consolidation of processing enterprises that receive milk from their raw material zones. Thus, they have secured themselves ‘from the turbulence of a single market and a product that may fall in price.’

As an example, the official spoke about an important sector in the dairy industry of the republic – whey powder, the production volumes of which have increased by 95% over the past five years. Last year Belarus exported 13 thousand tons of whey to 33 countries of the world.  

‘We have achieved unique results,’ said the expert. ‘On behalf of President Alexander Lukashenko, we have ensured maximum processing of whey raw materials at our enterprises so that not a single liter of whey goes into the sewer. This year our processors have completed this task.’

The speaker cited data according to which 98.6% of whey is processed in Belarus and 1.5% ‘goes to gas installations and livestock feed.’ In Russia, according to him, 30-40% of whey is processed, in the EU countries – 80-90%.

‘We make demineralized, normalized, traditional whey,’ concluded the official. ‘One of our companies has learned how to work with curd whey, and this is a great achievement with expensive equipment and sophisticated technology. We will continue to develop in this regard.