July 27, 2026
 

Belarus secures US$76 million in milk powder contracts with Indonesia including school nutrition programme supply

Belarus plans to ship 20,000 tonnes of milk powder to Indonesia by end-2026 as it rapidly expands dairy export capacity, with national milk production projected to reach 12 million tonnes this year.

Belarus has signed contracts worth US$76 million to supply milk powder to Indonesia, with part of the shipments allocated to the country's Free Nutritious Meal school nutrition programme, following agreements reached during Belarusian President Aleksander Lukashenko's state visit to Indonesia.

Belarusian Deputy Agriculture and Food Minister Aleksander Yakovchits said Belarus plans to export 20,000 tonnes of milk powder to Indonesia by the end of 2026. He said Belarus was well positioned to increase supplies given the rapid expansion of its dairy sector: national milk production reached 9.25 million tonnes in 2025 and is projected to rise to 12 million tonnes in 2026, providing substantial export capacity. Deliveries under the first contract have already commenced, with implementation of a second agreement now under way.

The dairy agreements form part of broader bilateral economic cooperation. A business forum held ahead of the presidential visit generated approximately US$500 million in potential agreements across multiple sectors, with bilateral trade currently standing at around US$221 million. Beyond food exports, Belarus and Indonesia are exploring cooperation in agricultural technology, farm machinery development and local manufacturing.

Belarus has also been expanding its dairy export presence elsewhere in Southeast Asia. The country recently completed its first skimmed milk powder (SMP) shipment to Malaysia - a trial consignment of 100 tonnes supplied by a dairy processor from the Minsk region to a Selangor-based oil and fat products producer. In the first five months of 2026, Belarus exported nearly 98,000 tonnes of SMP valued at more than US$285 million through its commodity exchange platform, a 1.7-fold increase in volume and 1.8-fold rise in value compared with the same period last year.

- Dairy Business MEA