Pork market in Belarus

Earlier Report Observations

The pork market volume in Belarus fluctuated between 407 and 429 thousand tons from 2018 to 2021. State support for agriculture and increased demand following sanctions helped sustain the market, while the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 further boosted consumption, aided by improved cold chain logistics and a rising preference for convenient semi-finished meat products.

Market volume declined to 392 thousand tons in 2022, influenced by sanctions and import restrictions that spurred domestic production but led to market oversaturation. Changes in tax regulation, including a 20% VAT rate on pork by-products, also impacted the sector. Recovery began in 2023, with volume reaching 400 thousand tons, driven by capacity expansions from major producers and the enforcement of enhanced quality control and mandatory product labeling systems.

For 2024, the government allocated credit resources for pig farming projects and continued the rollout of mandatory meat product labeling, reinforcing the market's structural shift towards semi-finished and ready-to-eat segments in response to changing consumer habits.

Production pork in Belarus

In kind, 2017-2020, K t

Globally, Belarus ranked as the 30th largest pork producer during the 2017-2020 period.

Top producers of pork, 2017-2020

World map of production of pork, 2017-2020

Following a two-year decline, Belarus's pork production rebounded in 2020. The country produced 399.2 thousand tons of pork that year, marking a 4.3% increase from 2019. Production had previously hit its lowest point in 2019 at 382.8 thousand tons, which represented a 3.7% decrease from the prior year.

Annual dynamics of production in Belarus in kind, 2017-2020, K t

In value, 2017-2020, M $ US

Pork production value in Belarus fell for the second consecutive year in 2020. Output was valued at 737 million US dollars, a sharp 25.5% drop compared to 2019. Over the 2017-2020 period, production value declined by 18.6%, with a compound annual growth rate of -6.6%. The highest value was recorded in 2018 at 1 065 million US dollars, which represented a 17.7% increase from the previous year.

Annual dynamics of production in Belarus in value, 2017-2020, M $ US

Exports pork from Belarus

Exports in kind, t

The market showed significant volatility throughout the period. Exports peaked in 2018 at 6 912 tons before plummeting to their lowest point of 1 166 tons in 2019—a fluctuation of nearly sixfold. In 2020, Belarus exported 2 367 tons of pork, more than doubling (up 103.1%) from the previous year's low. The most substantial decline occurred in 2019, when exports fell by 83.1%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Belarus in kind, 2017-2020, t

During 2017-2020, Russia and Kazakhstan dominated Belarus's pork exports in volume, together accounting for 100% of total shipments.

Structure of product's exports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Belarus in kind, 2017-2020

Exports in value, K $ US

Export values exhibited considerable instability during this timeframe. After reaching a high of 18 521 thousand US dollars in 2018, values dropped sharply to 3 010 thousand in 2019—a more than sixfold difference. In 2020, pork export values rebounded to 4 369 thousand US dollars, showing a significant 45.2% increase from the previous year. The most dramatic decline occurred in 2019, when export values fell by 83.7%.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Belarus in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

From 2017 to 2020, Russia and Kazakhstan were the primary destinations for Belarus's pork exports in value terms, together representing 99.9% of total export revenue.

Structure of product's exports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Belarus in value, 2017-2020

Imports pork to Belarus

Imports in kind, t

Import volumes showed notable volatility throughout the period. After reaching their highest point of 25 493 tons in 2019, imports fell to 25 280 tons in 2020—a slight 0.8% decrease. The lowest volume occurred in 2017, creating a peak-to-trough ratio of 4.4 times over the period. The most substantial increase happened in 2018, when imports surged by 240.2%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Belarus in kind, 2017-2020, t

Between 2017 and 2020, Russia was the leading source of pork imports to Belarus by volume, accounting for 73.5% of total imports, while numerous other markets supplied the remaining volume.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Belarus in kind, 2017-2020

Imports in value, K $ US

Import values experienced noticeable fluctuations during this period. Values varied by 4.1 times between their peak in 2019 (59 369 thousand US dollars) and their low in 2017. In 2020, pork import values stood at 54 025 thousand US dollars, representing a 9.0% decrease from the previous year. The most significant increase occurred in 2018, when import values jumped by 234.5%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Belarus in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

During the 2017-2020 period, Russia remained the primary source of pork imports to Belarus in value terms, accounting for 71.5% of total import spending, with the remainder distributed across various other markets.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Belarus in value, 2017-2020