The Verkhnedvinsk Butter and Cheese Factory intends to establish a trade representative office in Moscow

April 16, Minsk / Tatyana Lobas - BELTA /. The Verkhnedvinsk dairy and cheese plant plans to establish a trade mission in Moscow, which will significantly boost the supply of Belarusian products to remote Russian regions. This was announced to BELTA correspondent by the chief economist of the enterprise, Alexander Shabanov. The necessity of such a step is dictated by the fact that the export of products is mainly carried out to Russia. Currently, cheese and butter are shipped to Moscow and St. Petersburg. Issues concerning the supply of products to the Novosibirsk and Perm regions are being worked out. "Our products are well-known in the Russian regions. Cheese and butter are available in all Moscow hypermarkets and convenience stores," says the specialist. "Hard cheeses are in the highest demand." In addition, the dairy and cheese plant has begun to explore new sales markets: trial shipments (mainly butter) have been made to Ukraine and Kazakhstan. In 2009, the enterprise increased its product exports by 46% to $13 million 366 thousand. It is no coincidence that according to the results of the republican competition announced by the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Verkhnedvinsk dairy and cheese plant became the best exporter of 2009 in the nomination among the country's food enterprises, emphasized Alexander Shabanov. In the first quarter of the current year, export volumes remained at the level of the same period last year and amounted to $3.2 million. "This is a sufficiently high indicator, as a significant increase in export volumes was achieved in January-March 2009," emphasized Alexander Shabanov. The growth in exports was facilitated by the launch of a new cheese production line at the plant, which significantly improved product quality and increased production volumes by 2.5 times. This, in turn, affected sales levels. Alexander Shabanov recalled that the Verkhnedvinsk dairy and cheese plant was the first among Belarusian processing enterprises to receive a certificate of conformity to the quality management system LST EN ISO 9001:2008 and food safety LST EN ISO 22000:2005, which opens up prospects for entering the European market. The certificate confirms the high quality of Belarusian products. The enterprise has not yet received a veterinary export number. This is a matter of time and the completion of relevant documents. Nevertheless, issues concerning the supply of products to Italy and other EU countries are already being worked out. The Verkhnedvinsk dairy and cheese plant was established in 1964 and became a joint-stock company in 1999. The enterprise specializes in the production of hard rennet cheeses. The share of fatty cheeses in the total volume of product output is over 60%. In the first quarter of the current year, products worth Br14 billion were produced, which is 18% more compared to the same period in 2009. The production of consumer goods increased by 28.7% and amounted to Br15.8 billion.