OREANDA-NEWS. On 23 April 2009 was announced, that Belarusian sugar producers are in talks with Russian sugar makers over the possibility of increasing sugar exports to Russia by 30,000 tonnes in 2009, Director of OAO Gorodeya sugar factory Mikhail Krishtapovich told.

Earlier, Belarus self-restricted its exports to Russia to 150,000 tonnes in 2009.

“Belarus has produced enough sugar to meet the domestic requirement, and has enough sugar to export 180,000 tonnes to Russia, 30,000 tonnes in excess of the quota,” he said.

“We ask the Russian Union of Sugar Producers to allow us to export an additional 30,000 tonnes of sugar in 2009. We filed a request in January, and we will apply for an increase in supplies in May,” the director said.

In 2010, Belarusian producers would like to be able to export at the least the same volume of sugar as in 2009. “We’d rather export 180,000-200,000 tonnes,” Krishtapovich added.

Belarus may produce up to 550,000 tonnes of sugar in 2009. There are no plans to reduce areas under sugar beet in 2009.