Belarus' agricultural export to China up 87.7% in Q1 2021

Belarus' export of agricultural products to China skyrocketed by 87.7% in Q1 2021 year-on-year, Belarus' Deputy Agriculture and Food Minister Aleksei Bogdanov told a press conference on 24 May, BelTA has learned.

In Q1, Belarus exported around $1.5 billion worth of agricultural and food products, which was up by 5.3% year-on-year. “The growth target stood at 1.5%. Our agricultural enterprises were able to exceed this target. In Q1, additional foreign currency revenues amounted to almost $74 million,” Aleksei Bogdanov noted.

In January-March 2021, Belarusian food products were delivered to 88 countries (in January-March 2020 – to 83 countries). “Supplies to the countries of Asia and Oceania soared by 70.1%, to the EU – by 38.4%, to the Americas and the Caribbean countries – by 78.3%. Food export to China surged by 87.7%. All in all, supplies to non-CIS countries increased by 47.8% over the same period of last year,” Aleksei Bogdanov said.

According to him, Russia's share in Belarus' food export went down to 73.5%. “This means that our export diversification efforts are successful and supplies to non-CIS countries are growing,” Aleksei Bogdanov explained. The CIS member states (Russia excluded) accounted for 12% of Belarus' total food export and non-CIS countries – for 14.5%.

In Q1 2021, the share of food exports in Belarus' total export came at 17.8%. In 2021, Belarus aims to export $6 billion worth of food products. Plans are in place to bring this figure to $7 billion by 2025.