Belarus, Bangladesh mull to jointly manufacture dairy products

Belarus and Bangladesh are mulling to set up a joint venture to manufacture dairy products using Belarusian raw materials in Bangladesh, following the recent visit of the Asian country by a Belarus government delegation.

The issue has already been discussed with the Bangladesh Milk producers' Co-operative Union (Milk Vita), which accounts for almost 70% of the country's dairy products output.

In January 2013, a Belarus government delegation led by Prime Minister Mikhail Myasnikovich visited Bangladesh and agreed to offer technical assistance and outfit dairy farms and modular milk-processing factories with Belarusian equipment.

Subsequently, potential partners from Bangladesh, including Fialka director Ashiq Imran, visited the Meat and Dairy Industry Institute, the Slutsk cheese factory and dairy factory in Minsk in February.

To find out the demand for the products and preferences of the partners, both the parties agreed to send Belarusian dairy products to Bangladesh.

Both the parties also plan to set up a joint milk-processing enterprise.

Belarus Deputy Agriculture and Food Minister Vasily Kazakevich was quoted by Belarusian Telegraph Agency as saying that they are looking for partners who could take part in such a joint venture.

"Meetings with potential partners have been held. After returning we have set up a working group in the Agriculture and Food Ministry, has chosen Minsk Oblast for cooperation with Bangladesh, in particular, Slutsk Cheese Factory," Kazakevich added.

Belarus has already shipped 500kg of milk powder to another Asian country - Vietnam, and is waiting for the country's experts to arrive in April 2013 to discuss about setting up a joint venture, reported the news agency.