Belarus plans to supply the domestic market with locally grown tomatoes during the off-season period of 2027-2028, according to First Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Vitaly Kulak.
“The off-season period has recently ended. We can see how the situation is unfolding in the consumer market. The domestic market’s demand for cucumbers has been fully met; we supply retail chains and can even export a certain amount depending on consumer market trends. But we do not yet fully cover the demand for tomatoes. We will not be able to fully supply the market with tomatoes during the upcoming off-season period, but taking into account our construction plans, this will happen in the off-season period of 2027-2028,” Vitaly Kulak said.
During the 2025-2026 off-season period, Belarus sold 11,000 tons of cucumbers on the domestic market from a total production of 14,000 tons. Tomato demand stood at 17,000 tons, while production reached 8,000 tons.
To increase tomato supply, greenhouse enterprises are being modernised and expanded. According to Kulak, projects are underway at Agrokombinat Zhdanovichi, DorORS Company, and Svetlogorsk Pulp and Cardboard Mill.
At Agrokombinat Zhdanovichi, two new greenhouses covering 7 hectares each are under construction to increase tomato production volumes.
Nadezhda Ruban, head of the indoor crop farming department at Agrokombinat Zhdanovichi, said the new greenhouses will include supplementary lighting systems, allowing tomato harvesting during the off-season period.
“On the whole, the area of the operating greenhouse facility stands at 19ha now. Tomatoes are grown on 14ha. There is a small amount of peppers and eggplants. We also grow cucumbers on 4ha during the off-season period from November through May. Apart from that, we grow a small number of roses – around 13 varieties. In the new greenhouse, we plan to grow only tomatoes. In the first greenhouse spanning 7ha, we plan to produce 4,600 tonnes of tomatoes per season. The second greenhouse will be virtually identical. There are some differences, but the plans also envisage growing 4,600 tonnes of tomatoes,” she said.
Source: Belta