The meat industry of the Republic of Belarus: state and development trends

Abstract

The meat industry is one of the largest branches of the food industry in the Republic of Belarus. More than 200 economic entities are engaged in the processing of livestock, poultry and the production of meat products from them in the republic. Meat processing plants located in Minsk, Grodno, Bereza and Volkovysk lead in terms of meat processing and sales of final products. Meat products are the main component of the protein diet of the inhabitants of Belarus. Almost one third of the population consumes meat or meat products daily or almost daily. The market for meat processing products in the Republic of Belarus is diverse. The country produces more than 1,200 types of meat products, including 800 types of sausage products, about 250 kinds of semi-finished products, more than 150 types of canned food. At the same time, the number of trademarks and varieties represented on the market continues to increase. The meat industry not only provides the population with food needs, but also plays a significant role in the country’s foreign trade. A significant proportion of meat products are exported to Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Ukraine, Poland and Germany. The active foreign economic strategy of recent years has made Belarus a major participant in the global food market.