OREANDA-NEWS. May 19, 2009. In Q1 this year, the Gomel oblast invested Br14.8 billion in modernization of the process industry, or up 74.3% as against the same period of 2008. Meat and dairy manufacturers of the region invested more than Br9.3 billion of their own funds.

In January-March 2009, the Kalinkovichi Dairy Plant, the Gomel-based Dairy Products Company and the Rogachev Dairy Plant assigned the biggest amount of the investments in modernization of their production facilities.

All in all, in line with the technical re-equipment programme for the dairy and meat industry of the Gomel oblast for the period till 2010, in 2009, the Gomel oblast intends to invest Br76 billion in modernization. The modernization will touch upon all 15 process companies and their branches.

According to Svetlana Zubkova, the modernization will allow the food companies to improve their efficiency, expand the product line, improve competitiveness on domestic and foreign markets. In Q1 this year, companies of the Gomel oblast increased export of meat and dairy products by 30%.

In 2009, the Gomel oblast intends to increase the commodity output by 17%.