OREANDA-NEWS. On 15 June 2009 was announced, that Belarus plans to reduce powdered milk supplies to Russia in 2009 by 40,000 tonnes and increase cheese supplies by 33,000 tonnes, Agriculture Minister Semyon Shapiro told reporters.

“We revised the range of products that Belarus supplies to Russia during our latest meeting with Russian Agriculture Minister Yelena Skrynnik. Russia asks us to reduce powdered milk delivering and increase supplies of cheese, which is suitable. We are having a normal dialogue with our Russian colleagues,” Shapiro said.

Belarus plans to fill the 2.8 million-tonne dairy export quota this year, he said. The total will include 50,000-56,000 tonnes of butter, 100,000-102,000 tonnes of cheeses, 49,000 tonnes of powdered milk and 85,000 tonnes of canned milk.

Shapiro said Belarus had indeed exceeded the powdered milk quota for 2008, but cut supplies of other dairy products adequately.

Russia imports 7 million tonnes of dairy products annually, including about 3 million tonnes from Belarus.