OREANDA-NEWS. Belarus exported USD 154.84 million worth of sugar in January-May 2013, down 2.9% year on year, while in physical terms sugar exports grew 0.5% to 246,000 tonnes, a source in the profile ministry told.

The decline in sugar exports reflects a drop in sugar prices. The average export price of Belarus’ sugar stood at USD 629.99 per tonne in Jan-May 2013 to compare with USD 651.42 per tonne in Jan-May 2012.

As previously reported, Belarus exported 449,000 tonnes of sugar worth USD 290 million in 2012, and 396,200 tonnes of sugar worth USD 318.7 million in 2011. The average annual export price of Belarus’ sugar stood at USD 641 per tonne in 2012 to compare with USD 804 per tonne in 2011.

There are four sugar plants in Belarus (based Gorodeya, Zhabinka, Skidel, Slootsk), which process 28,000 tonnes of sugar beet a day. The sugar capacity of Belarus’ home market totals 350,000 tonnes, while the rest is exported to foreign states, mostly Russia and Ukraine.

Belarus is currently looking for an investor to build a fifth sugar plant in Mogilev Region.

Belarus is expected to produce 720,000 tonnes of white sugar in 2015.