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In Russia, complaints have again emerged about the growth of dairy supplies from Belarus. This time, Izvestia published a report on the situation in the milk market.
The newspaper notes that at the end of 2025, producers of raw milk were unable to sell 73.5 thousand tonnes of product, the highest figure in recent times. Overall, milk production in Russia last year increased by 0.2 million tonnes to 34.3 million tonnes. The publication says that the problems faced by Russian producers are linked to increased supplies from Belarus, as well as rising demand among Russian consumers for Belarusian products.
Experts interviewed by the newspaper point to the growing impact of supplies from Belarus on the Russian dairy market. A representative of Molvest, Anatoly Losev, said that stocks of Belarusian butter and cheese that could not be sold last year are now entering the Russian market. At the same time, companies are selling these products at lower prices “due to the specifics of state regulation of the dairy sector in the neighbouring republic and the approaching critical sell-by dates”.
The newspaper also draws attention to the increased share of the Brest-Litovsk brand from the producer Savushkin Product in cheese and butter sales last year.
It should be noted that a similar article recently appeared in Kommersant. At that time, the newspaper reported that butter prices were one of the main topics of Belarusian-Russian talks on the agro-industrial sector at the level of deputy prime ministers Yuriy Shuleyko and Dmitry Patrushev. The publication also said that Russian producers had faced rising production costs for butter, which affected prices and led to a decline in sales. At the same time, Belarusian producers increased their market share, which reached 23 percent. As a result, Russian companies are unable to sell their stocks.
That article appeared on the eve of a congress of the Russian dairy industry association Soyuzmoloko. Speaking at the event, Belarusian Minister of Agriculture and Food Yuriy Gorlov rejected accusations of possible dumping. He said that in Belarus in 2025, average profitability of milk production nationwide amounted to 26 percent, while profitability of processing stood at 11 percent. The minister also noted that Belarus is ready to move to free pricing for raw milk.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev told the congress that the supply balances agreed between the two countries are being maintained. At the same time, he allowed for the creation of a working group with broader representation of Russian business, which could be involved in determining supply volumes.