EEC Minister: Belarus accounts for almost half of mutual food trade in the EAEU

June 20, Moscow. Belarus accounts for almost half of the volume of mutual food trade in the Eurasian Economic Union. Artak Kamalyan, member of the Board (Minister) for Industry and Agro-Industrial Complex of the Eurasian Economic Commission, said this in an interview with a BelTA correspondent.

"In the total volume of mutual trade in food products, the share of the Republic of Belarus is about 43%," said Artak Kamalyan. "About 93% of Belarus' supplies go to the Russian Federation; cottage cheese, butter, condensed and dry MILK and cream, non-condensed milk and cream, fermented milk products, beef, poultry MEAT, prepared or canned fish, rapeseed oil, the share of which in 2021 was about 64% of the total volume in monetary terms.

Speaking about the self-sufficiency of the EAEU countries with food, the EEC Minister noted that according to this indicator, the best situation is in Belarus. “Our states, through their own production, fully cover domestic needs in grain, pork, vegetables and potatoes, vegetable oils, SUGAR and eggs,” he stated. “There is only a shortage of fruits and berries. The level of self-sufficiency in basic agricultural products and food reaches 93% If we look at this issue in the context of countries, then the highest self-sufficiency rates are achieved in Belarus (94%) and RUSSIA (90%), followed by Kazakhstan (83%) and Kyrgyzstan (81%) In Armenia, the level of self-sufficiency is 73%" .

"Our states are taking joint steps to strengthen food security. In particular, to ensure the balance of the common market, short-term forecast balances of supply and demand for the main types of agricultural products and food are formed on an annual basis. In addition, general principles and approaches to ensuring food security have been approved. This is an important step towards the formation of real mechanisms for stabilizing the food market, ensuring guaranteed mutual supplies, as well as removing existing barriers and restrictions on the common Eurasian agricultural market," Artak Kamalyan emphasized.

*** The full text of the interview will be published on the news feed and posted on the BELTA website.