Director of the Russian Milk Institute: Our country is counting on supplies of butter and cheese from Belarus

February 21, Minsk . In 2025 and 2026, Russia will continue to need imported dairy products, and Russians expect to compensate for the deficit by importing butter, cheeses, and other products from Belarus. This was stated by Tatyana Nagaeva, Director of the Russian Institute of Milk, during the Dairy Farm forum in Minsk , BELTA reports.

"Everyone in Russia knows Belarusian goods; for us, they are a sign of quality and a clear example of genuine products. In 2024 , we faced a serious challenge when milk and dairy products became extremely popular among Russians due to their increased purchasing power. We were not ready for this and asked Belarusians to import as much of their dairy products as possible. The task was accomplished," the Russian expert commented.
The most pressing issue was the shortage of butter on the shelves, the demand for which has increased sharply, which a specialist from Russia explains by several reasons. Firstly, the poor harvest of palm oil, used in the production of almost all confectionery products, which forced the sweet industry to switch to butter. Secondly, the growth of pensions and child benefits, which affected the increase in purchasing power. Russian factories sold out their stocks of butter in two months.

"At the moment, we have opened duty-free import of butter from several countries. Large contracts have been concluded with Belarusian producers, since your country is our main supplier of butter," the head of the Milk Institute emphasized. "This year and next, the need for high-margin dairy products in Russia will remain, since milk production volumes will remain at the 2024 level. We expect to cover the deficit, including through the supply of dairy products from Belarus."
Today, the Russian Federation meets 82% of its milk and dairy needs, with 18% imported. In Belarus, Russian partners are interested not only in high-quality dairy products, but also in the technologies for their production. The Director of the Milk Institute noted that there are advanced farms in our country, whose experience is being adopted by colleagues from Russia.

"There are not many truly strong and modern technological farms in our country yet, so we are actively joining the Belarusian experience. We come and learn from you. Europe is closed to us today, and Belarus is a conductor of European technologies for Russia," Tatyana Nagaeva summed up.  

Earlier, First Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Alexander Lomsky said that last year, Belarusian milk processing plants shipped 6 million tons of milk and dairy products for export , expanding the geography of supplies to 69 countries, adding to the list of importers the markets of Algeria, Mexico, Kuwait, Nigeria, Kenya, etc.