Fur farms affiliated with the Belcoopsoyuz consumer cooperation association will present their products at a fur auction in Saint Petersburg that will be held on 13-15 December, it was learnt from Deputy Head of the Fur-Farming Department of Belkoopsoyuz Vasily Kudelich.

Belarusian fur breeders will present 110,000 minks worth $2 million. On 21-23 December an international fur auction will be held in Helsinki (Finland) where Belarusian fur farms will showcase 120,000 pieces of fur worth $2.2 million. Only new furs will be brought to the auction.

Vasily Kudelich noted that enterprises affiliated with Belcoopsoyuz never miss these two international auctions that are held at the beginning and end of a year. Belarusian furs enjoy a great popularity there and are sold out very fast and at high prices. In 2008 Belkoopsoyuz enterprises exported furs worth $20 million, up 17% over 2007.

According to Vasily Kudelich, this year the prices for furs will depend on the price quotations on the main world auctions especially in Copenhagen in early December. Kopenhagen Fur is the world’s largest fur auction house and the leading provider of luxury fur. “We will see how the things will flare up, whether the prices will go up or, on the contrary, down. Our further marketing policy will depend on this,” Vasily Kudelich said.

The price policy depends on the US dollar exchange rate during the global financial crisis, though there are some objective reasons, too. Prices for fur products have fallen due to the climate warming and fur overproduction. In 2008 more than 51 million fur skins were produced worldwide. This year the fur production has slowed down. Yet beautiful fur clothing remains in vogue, and Belarusian breeders hope the upcoming auctions will be a success.

The Russian fur companies are the major consumers of the Belarusian fur. The products are sold to Russia and Greece on direct contracts and to the USA, Great Britain and China via auctions.

The Belarusian companies of the consumer cooperation breed the eastern European mink. In 2009 there were produced 700,000 mink skins, 87% to the same time in 2008. “The companies have reduced the livestock due to a decrease in the demand,” the specialist noted.

The consumer cooperation fur companies accounts for 90% of the fur production in Belarus. In 2008 the fur companies of Belarus earned Br1.9 billion.

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