Chinese beef market expands

The Belarusian Telegraph Agency (BelTA) reported Dec. 12 that two Belarus companies have been authorized to supply beef to the Chinese market, according to information it obtained from the Belarusian Embassy in China. OAO Veles-Meat and OAO Mogilev Meat Packing Plant were granted approval after a meeting between Belarus’ Agriculture and Food Minister, Leonid Zayats, with the head of the Chinese General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, Zhi Shuping. Belarus becomes the first country from the Commonwealth of Independent States (the former Soviet Union) and the 13th in the world cleared to supply beef to the Chinese market. The report said China imported an estimated $2.6 billion worth of beef in 2016. In addition, a cooperation plan was signed to further stimulate agricultural trade between the two countries.