Belarus leads Europe in the production of milk and dairy products: 841 kg per person per year

November 30, MINSK. Belarus is the undisputed European leader in the production of MILK and dairy products. This was stated by Deputy HEAD of the Main Department of the Processing Industry of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Maria Klimova in the project "In Fact: Decisions of the First" on the BelTA YouTube channel.

According to her, the level of self-sufficiency with dairy products in Belarus reaches 263.3%. "This is a significant figure. If we compare the countries of Western Europe, the European Union, then the level of self-sufficiency reaches 116%. In Central and Northern Europe - 130-170%. But Eastern and Southern Europe are only 60-80% self-sufficient in milk. For example, Spain, Bulgaria, Romania," the specialist explained.

She stressed that Belarus is considered the undisputed leader in the production of milk and dairy products per capita: 841 kg per person per year, of which only 237 kg are consumed in the country. "If we take cheese, then the production per capita is about 30 kg per person per year, while we consume 7.5 kg," Maria Klimova gave another example.

it is obvious that such a difference in the volumes of production and domestic consumption contributes to the development of exports. Belarusian milk has long been known for its quality far beyond the borders of the country, it is supplied all over the world, and the geography of countries and the volume of supplies are constantly increasing.

However, this was not always the case. In recent years, the dairy industry has taken a step forward and instead of expensive imported cheeses, for example, their own Belarusian cheeses appeared on store shelves - excellent quality and affordable. "In 2000, there were about 15 types of butter, now there are about 40 items, cheeses - 380 items of various categories, including a ripening period of up to a year. If earlier we discussed that 3 and 6 months is a long ripening, now it is already six months to a year. We have reached this bar. The quality of milk allows us to produce good cheeses with a long ripening period. We produce 1.8 thousand types of dairy products at domestic enterprises," the specialist said.

She drew attention to the fact that in accordance with the concept of food security of 2005, a course was taken for import substitution. The range of manufactured cheeses and whole-milk products has significantly expanded, new packaging formats, new bottling and cheese-making lines have been introduced. “We have fully provided ourselves with domestic dairy products. Today, 95% of domestic cheeses are sold in our retail outlets. Almost all of the butter is domestic,” emphasized Maria Klimova.