OREANDA-NEWS. On 15 April 2009 was announced, that Belarus’ Grodno-based Neman tobacco factory decreased cigarette output 0.7% on the year in January-March to 3.19 billion units, a representative in the company told.

In March, Neman produced 1.3 billion cigarettes, up 18.2% on the year.

Production under contracts with British-American Tobacco Trading Company reached 430 million units, up 14% from previous January-March.

Neman makes 12 varieties of five cigarette brands under contracts with BAT – Alliance, Viceroy, Pall Mall, Lucky Strike and Kent.

Cigarette deliveries to the retail network amounted to 2.22 billion units, down 17% on the year in January-March.

Neman was founded in 1861 and transformed into a joint-stock company with all shares controlled by the state in 2008.