Belarus keen to export more sugar to EU

Following an invitation of the Belarusian food industry concern Belgospischeprom a delegation of the International Sugar Organization (ISO) has been in Belarus on a business visit, BelTA learned from the Belgospischeprom press service.

Led by ISO Executive Director Peter Baron, the delegation held negotiations with Belgospischeprom officials, visited the Slutsk sugar refinery, Gorodeya sugar refinery, met with Belarus Vice Premier Ivan Bambiza.

The negotiations with Belgospischeprom officials touched upon further development of cooperation and increase in Belarusian sugar export to the European Union. Belarus mainly sells sugar in Russia and other CIS states at present. Sugar is also exported to some European Union countries, namely Lithuania, Latvia and Poland.

Belgospischeprom President Ivan Danchenko remarked, Belarusian sugar export to the European Union is inconsiderable now primarily due to the extremely high import duty (€419 per tonne). Meanwhile, Belarusian sugar producers believe that exporting sugar to the European Union for industrial processing such as the production of confectioneries, non-alcoholic beverages and so on could be promising.

In November 2009 a delegation of Belgospischeprom and directors of Belarusian sugar refineries are expected to partake in an ISO conference in London. The ISO Executive Director promised assistance to the Belarusian delegation with establishing business contacts with the world’s leading sugar manufactures and major investment companies.

According to Peter Baron, in view of the changing sugar market diversifying manufacturing for the sake of enhanced processing of the raw stock is important. He believes the idea of using existing Belarusian sugar refineries to set up large agricultural processing facilities is very promising. Among other things the facilities could make sugar manufacturing byproducts such as ethanol, organic acids, and bioplastics. Peter Baron promised to arrange a visit for a Belgospischeprom delegation to a major sugar manufacturing enterprise of the British Sugar company in order to share the experience of setting up such facilities.

In turn, Ivan Danchenko said he was confident that the negotiations in Minsk and the ISO’s newly acquired knowledge of Belarusian companies and their capabilities will give a new boost to the development of the mutually beneficial cooperation between Belarusian sugar manufacturers and participants of the European and global markets.

Peter Baron spoke well about the development of the Belarusian sugar industry. He remarked that truly advanced enterprises had been set up in Belarus while the quality of the products matches that of European producers. The ISO Executive Director also praised the government efforts aimed at rapid development of the national sugar industry. Over the last few years innovations have allowed Belarusian sugar refineries to ensure deeper processing of sugar beet raw stock, increase the end product yield and its quality and create effective enterprises manufacturing high-quality fodder, which enjoys demand both home and abroad.

The International Sugar Organization is an intergovernmental body set up to improve business conditions on the global sugar market, analyze, monitor and research the situation. The ISO unites sugar manufacturers from 83 countries, including Belarus.