Delicious premieres

An international specialised wholesale trade show — PRODEXPO 2024 — has been held in Minsk. For the 30th time, this anniversary event brought together domestic and foreign representatives from the food market, academia, and trade organisations. A total of 160 exhibitors from Belarus and abroad presented their achievements, technologies, and new product samples. Participants included companies, holdings, and enterprises from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Vietnam, India, Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation, and Sri Lanka.

The event’s stature grows each year, with Belarusian products becoming increasingly recognised on the global stage. Next year, PRODEXPO will take on a completely new format as the construction of the National Exhibition Complex — which will provide the facilities needed for major events — is nearing completion. This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Shuleiko during his communication with journalists on the sidelines of the exhibition.
According to him, PRODEXPO is not just a busy forum programme, numerous premieres, and a wide range of products on display. It is a fantastic opportunity to showcase advancements in technological processes, to discuss future work directions and trends, and to examine what is in demand on store shelves both in Belarus and abroad.
“Belarusian products are recognised worldwide today, and we are not limited to just the Union State; we are operating across various markets — from Africa to India and Vietnam. In terms of export potential, we expect to declare a growth of 116-117 percent by the end of the year compared to last year. This is a significant figure. And we are not only talking about meat and dairy products but also about confectionery, flour, and much more. The interest in Belarusian food products abroad is quite high, with many avenues open for exporting our goods,” revealed Yuri Shuleiko.

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The Deputy Prime Minister remarked that this year has been successful for agrarians both financially and in terms of harvest output, “Belarus is an export-oriented country, and agriculture makes a substantial contribution to the country’s export portfolio.”
A clear demonstration of our state’s export potential was evident at the international trade show venues. This year, it has expanded in both scale and the number of participants. A total of 160 leading domestic and foreign producers showcased their achievements, technologies, and new product samples. The geography of participants was extensive, including companies, holdings, and enterprises from Belarus, Azerbaijan, Vietnam, Georgia, India, Kazakhstan, and Sri Lanka. 
There was a strong presence from representatives of the Russian Federation, who are keen to establish direct contacts with Belarusian producers, as noted by Oleg Zhidkov, Chairman of the Belarusian State Concern of Food Industry (Belgospishcheprom). These include regional networks that need high-quality products at affordable prices. While speaking with journalists, the head of the concern also shared insights about transformations in the confectionery industry, “New production facilities are being established to produce new types of products. We have already opened a line for the production of soft caramel in Ivenets. For Belarus, this is a new product that is entirely made from domestic ingredients. At a small yet significant enterprise in Narovlya, the modernisation phase of one of the oldest sections dedicated to producing toffee is nearing completion. They plan to launch an upgraded workshop with an automated production line in December. There are also projects involving larger enterprises, such as Spartak and Kommunarka. By the New Year’s holidays, they will delight consumers with new types of products — including soft pralines, candies with nuts, biscuits, and soft caramel — made on modernised equipment.”

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The sugar industry enterprises have also continued to develop in 2024. Belgospishcheprom is working on organising production in a way that reduces production costs and expenses associated with fuel and energy resources, as these are among the most expensive factors that contribute to high production costs. This strategy is aimed at remaining competitive in external markets and ensuring affordability for consumers.
The international trade show has provided a unique opportunity for brand promotion and business partner networking for both those with experience participating in large-scale forums and those presenting their products for the first time.  

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It is already possible to point out significant interest from forum guests in various competitions, championships, masterclasses, and presentations. Among them are the international competition for the best packaging SmakArt 2024, the quality showcase for bakery and confectionery products Smakota 2024, featuring presentations and tastings of healthy eating bakery and confectionery products with recommendations from specialists, the confectionery master competition Belarus in Space, and more.

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As part of the trade show, the Grand Prix winners of the international tasting competition PRODEXPO 2024: Traditions. Quality. Innovations were awarded. This competition included organisations from the food and processing industry, agricultural organisations, peasant (farm) enterprises, small business enterprises, and individual entrepreneurs producing food products. One of the prize winners that received the Grand Prix was Shklov Raipo [district consumers society] with their Rainbow dried crusts. “When choosing which products to enter in the competition, we focused on what is most in demand,” explained Nadezhda Makarovskaya, the head of the production laboratory at Shklov Raipo. “For several years now, ‘rainbow’ mixture bread has been a top seller. Not long ago, we decided to go further and make dried crusts with this same mixture, where all the ingredients are natural: carrots, flaxseeds, and sunflower seeds. Moreover, this novelty falls into the category of healthy eating.”
For the 30th time, the exhibition brought together food producers and suppliers from around the world, serving as an excellent demonstration platform to feature premieres of food and gastronomic innovations, as well as presentations of technologies and solutions for product manufacturing.

By Galina Zhukova, Sergei Grudnitsky