Belarusian government extends ban on export of grain, sunflower and rapeseed

The Council of Ministers of Belarus decided to extend the ban on the export of grain crops, rapeseed and sunflower from the country for six months, the corresponding government decree № 651 published on the National Legal Internet Portal.

The document refers to such crops as wheat and meslin, rye, barley, oats, corn, buckwheat, millet, triticale, other cereals, as well as rape and sunflower seeds.

To export these food products outside the country, exporters need to obtain one-time licenses from the Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade in coordination with the regional executive committees and Minsk City Executive Committee.

The ban does not apply to products, supplied as part of humanitarian aid and transit.

The Belarusian authorities introduced a ban on grain exports in August 2021, after which this measure, designed to provide food for the domestic market, was extended three times – in March and September 2022, as well as in the spring of 2023.

The current restrictions will be in effect for six months – until March 2024.

Poor harvest

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food of Belarus previously reported that the harvest of cereals in 2023 is 15% lower than a year earlier – about 6 million tons. The yields differed in different areas, while there was no uneven decline in volumes. The reason is the dynamically changing weather in May and June.

As reported by the head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sergei Bartosh, Belarus intends to buy a million tons of grain abroad this year. At the same time, up to 500 thousand tons will be bought from Russia.

Tags: grain, sunseed, rapeseed, Belarus, restrictions