Belarus begins bulk purchases of grain from Russia

MOSCOW. July 27 (Interfax) - Belarus' Vitebsk Region has procured 150,000 tonnes of grain from Russia as part of the planned bulk purchase of 500,000 tonnes, Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister Leonid Zayats said in a statement.

"The Vitebsk Region concluded an agreement with a company from the Russian Federation, and the first 150,000 tonnes of grain is currently on its way to the Vitebsk grain elevators," Zayats was quoted as saying by the BelTA state news agency after reporting to President Alexander Lukashenko.

The process of purchasing 500,000 tonnes of grain can be fully completed in November, he said. "Supplying this much Russian grain is not a one-day job; the process can continue throughout August-November," the deputy PM said. "The most important thing is that there is understanding, there is money, there is someone to buy from, there is someone to pay this money," he added.

Earlier, Lukashenko agreed on the centralized purchase of 500.000 tonnes of grain in Russia due to the expected decrease in the grain harvest this year to 7.3 million tonnes from 8.7 million tonnes last year because of unfavorable weather conditions. The shortage of grain for livestock needs this year will exceed 1.3 million tonnes, the Agriculture and Food Ministry said.

Meanwhile, small volumes of grain from Russia ship regularly to Belarus via the Belarusian Universal Commodity Exchange (BUCE). In July, a representative of the exchange reported that sales of grain from Russia through BUCE in H1 2023 had increased by a third compared to the same period last year, to 130,000 tonnes. The exchange noted the high demand from Belarusian consumers for Russian grain and expressed interest in expanding the list of Russian suppliers.