Petro Parkhomchyk, Chairman of the Brest Regional Executive Committee, proposed an immediate halt to the import of foreign apples into Belarus. He stated this on the STB TV channel, arguing that this year's good harvest and high quality of Belarusian fruit justify such a proposal.
This year, the Brest region expects to harvest between 135 and 150 thousand tons of apples. This is approximately three times more than last year. The region traditionally accounts for about half of the total apple harvest in Belarus.
Apple orchards in the Brest region cover about 8 thousand hectares. Over the past five years, about 1.5 thousand hectares of new orchards have been planted here. A significant portion of the areas was allocated for late-winter varieties that can be stored for a long time. In 2026, it is planned to plant another 512 hectares of orchards.
Petro Parkhomchyk noted that Belarusian apples come in various varieties and have good taste qualities. He stated that with such harvest volumes, the import of foreign apples into the country must be urgently suspended.
The issue of reducing apple imports has been raised by the authorities not for the first time. Earlier, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food also advocated for switching to Belarusian products.
This year, Belarus did not experience strong hailstorms or sharp extreme temperature fluctuations, so the authorities expect a good harvest. Thousands of hectares of modern orchards with drip irrigation and in-demand winter varieties, officials hope, should allow the Belarusian market to be supplied with apples not only from autumn until May, but also until the new harvest.
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