20 September, Minsk /Ekaterina Markovich - BELTA/. In January-August 2011, RUE "Vitebsk Fur Factory" produced goods worth Br4.7 billion, which is 42.7% more than in the same period last year. This was announced today to journalists by Lilia Vlasova, Deputy Head of the Department for Coordination of the Leather and Footwear Industry of the "Bellegprom" Concern, as reported by a BELTA correspondent. In the eight months of 2011, the enterprise supplied 1.6 thousand units of outerwear and 2 thousand units of headwear to the domestic market. The fur factory's sales network is actively developing. Currently, the enterprise has a brand store in Vitebsk and six branded sections in major stores in all regional centers. Furthermore, the opening of a brand showroom in the capital is planned for October 2011. At the same time, there are certain problems with the utilization of production capacities due to a shortage of funds for raw material procurement, noted Lilia Vlasova. To fully utilize the factory's capacities, at least 60 thousand undressed fur pelts are required. However, in January-August 2011, the enterprise purchased only 8.5 thousand units of fur raw materials, of which only 50% were domestically produced. "To provide the factory with the necessary raw materials, the Council of Ministers has instructed "Belkoopsoyuz" to suspend the export of fur raw materials," the specialist reported. In total, "Belkoopsoyuz" is to supply 35 thousand mink pelts, of which the enterprise has already received 15 thousand. In addition, the Vitebsk factory, jointly with the Ministry of Forestry, is participating in the implementation of a plan for the rational use of river beaver resources. Thus, in the eight months of the current year, the enterprise purchased 689 beaver pelts and plans to purchase 3 thousand units by the end of the year. RUE "Vitebsk Fur Factory" is the only major enterprise in Belarus with a full processing cycle – from raw material dressing to garment manufacturing and sales. The factory processes all types of fur and sheepskin raw materials. The enterprise produces over 100 models of outerwear, which are updated by 70% annually. It is part of the "Bellegprom" Concern. -0-

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