On December 27, Vitebsk /Olga Bogacheva - BELTA/. Vitebsk confectioners have switched to a three-shift work schedule, as reported to BELTA correspondent by RUPP "Vitebskhlebprom". Mass orders for festive cakes have already started to be received by the Vitebsk bakery from trade enterprises of the regional centre and citizens. While on ordinary days the city produces about 1 tonne of confectionery products, on the eve of the New Year their volume increases by 4-5 times. Moreover, a surge in demand for sweet products is expected between December 29 and 31, technologists noted. Over the current pre-holiday week, the enterprise will produce about 15 tonnes of confectionery products. Confectioners will offer citizens a choice of 20 types of cakes, including two new ones: "Honey Taste" with cream and boiled condensed milk, and "Snowy Etude" with added dessert caramel or strawberry paste. Popular among sweet tooths cakes such as "Fairy Tale", "Truffle", "Kyiv", "Festival Night", "Black Gold", "Parade of Planets", "Nut", and the sugar-free diabetic cake "Peach with Cream" will be available in sufficient quantities in trade. All New Year's products are distinguished by attractive festive decoration: marmalade and sugary figures of Grandfathers Frost and Snow Maidens, various fairy-tale characters, fir trees, and wafer and chocolate greeting cards. For the current year, according to preliminary data, RUPP "Vitebskhlebprom" enterprises have produced products worth Br228.2 billion. Bakery products amounted to 57.7 thousand tonnes (or 102.4% compared to last year), and confectionery products – 1.9 thousand tonnes (122.5% respectively). Product range renewal reached almost 70%. Sales profitability for 11 months was 7.1%. Bakery and confectionery products worth $1.3 million were exported to Russia (150% respectively). Stocks of finished products, with a norm of 12% of the average monthly production volume, are expected to be at the level of 8.5-9%. RUPP "Vitebskhlebprom" includes 12 bakeries in the region. The total number of employees is about 2.8 thousand people.-0-

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