Alexander Evdokimenko: Belarus Expands Dairy Exports Through Exchange Mechanisms
Source: DairyNews.today
At the 2025 Dairy Olympics, held from April 7–10 in Al Ain, UAE, Alexander Evdokimenko, Leading Specialist of the Foreign Economic Activity Department at the Belarusian Universal Commodity Exchange (BUCE), spoke about how the exchange platform is becoming a key tool for expanding the global presence of Belarusian dairy products. BUCE mechanisms help form transparent pricing, simplify export transactions, and provide access to new markets.
Since the beginning of 2024, a rule has been in effect in Belarus requiring that the export of certain dairy products be conducted exclusively through the exchange. These products include:
This approach creates an open and competitive environment:
“Even if a seller and buyer have agreed in advance, they remain anonymous until the deal is finalized. Multiple participants can compete for a single lot,” noted Evdokimenko.
As of the first quarter of 2025, Belarus exports dairy products to 58 countries. New destinations include Algeria, Myanmar, Venezuela, Mongolia, and Vietnam.
The speaker also highlighted active expansion into markets such as the UAE (now among the top 5 partners by volume), as well as India and Pakistan, despite their own domestic dairy production. In these cases, exports primarily consist of milk powder.
Although Belarus is not among the top five global producers, Evdokimenko emphasized the country's strong position in export rankings:
The Belarusian exchange system is supplemented by indicative pricing. Ministries and the Council of Ministers set minimum prices below which dairy products cannot be sold. These prices apply to Russia, EU countries, and so-called “third countries” — in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Evdokimenko emphasized that BUCE provides full remote access to the market:
“You couldn’t buy a cup of coffee for that price — yet you get access to the entire market,” he remarked.
The exchange also offers:
A free monthly analytical bulletin on dairy exports,
Publication of indicative prices on the website,
The ability to safely trade not only dairy products but also agri-industrial equipment.
“We don’t trade stocks or futures. Only real goods and real exports — directly from producers,” he emphasized.
- Butter,
- Skimmed and whole milk powder,
- Hard and semi-hard cheeses.
This approach creates an open and competitive environment:
“Even if a seller and buyer have agreed in advance, they remain anonymous until the deal is finalized. Multiple participants can compete for a single lot,” noted Evdokimenko.
As of the first quarter of 2025, Belarus exports dairy products to 58 countries. New destinations include Algeria, Myanmar, Venezuela, Mongolia, and Vietnam.
The speaker also highlighted active expansion into markets such as the UAE (now among the top 5 partners by volume), as well as India and Pakistan, despite their own domestic dairy production. In these cases, exports primarily consist of milk powder.
Although Belarus is not among the top five global producers, Evdokimenko emphasized the country's strong position in export rankings:
- 3rd in the world for exports of butter and whey,
- 4th for cheese exports,
- 5th overall in dairy exports.
- Cheese remains the leading export item, both in volume and value.
The Belarusian exchange system is supplemented by indicative pricing. Ministries and the Council of Ministers set minimum prices below which dairy products cannot be sold. These prices apply to Russia, EU countries, and so-called “third countries” — in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Evdokimenko emphasized that BUCE provides full remote access to the market:
- Free registration from any country,
- Access to all Belarusian dairy producers,
- Ability to make counteroffers and modify delivery terms,
- Anonymous trading with market-driven pricing,
- Buyer’s commission of less than 30 cents per transaction.
“You couldn’t buy a cup of coffee for that price — yet you get access to the entire market,” he remarked.
The exchange also offers:
A free monthly analytical bulletin on dairy exports,
Publication of indicative prices on the website,
The ability to safely trade not only dairy products but also agri-industrial equipment.
“We don’t trade stocks or futures. Only real goods and real exports — directly from producers,” he emphasized.
