World meat industry news

Belarus has plans to build a 1,000-head commercial dairy farm in Egypt, Aleksei Bogdanov, the head of the main division for foreign economic affairs at the Agriculture and Food Ministry of Belarus, told the media on 25 May.

Mr Bogdanov noted, "A working group has been set up. They will visit Egypt after Ramadan, in early July.

"We have already paid a visit to Egypt with the minister to have a look at the land plots. Now we plan to send specialists to test the soil and assess the conditions.

"In Belarus, we fit dairy farms with heating equipment, and in Egypt we will need to make sure there is proper cooling and conditioning. We have the necessary technologies and design solution."

He added that Belarus can provide cattle breeding stock for any commercial dairy farm in Egypt. Mr Bogdanov emphasized that Belarus pins big hopes on the cooperation with Egypt.

Belarus shipped 100 tonnes of whole milk powder to Egypt in Q1 2017. Now the country is preparing the first batch of rye flour.

"We hope to step up the trade and economic cooperation in the supplies of dairy products. Talks are underway on the supplies of Belarusian beef and poultry meat.

"The price has not been agreed yet. We are not quite satisfied with the prices that the Egyptian side suggests. However, the negotiations continue, and we will be advancing gradually,” Mr Bogdanov stressed.