Moscow, Sept. 27 (Sputnik) -- More than 50 Russian companies have obtained certificates to export dairy products to China, said Artyom Belov, general manager of the National Dairy Producers Union (SOYUZMOLOKO) .

Mr. Belov said China imports dairy products worth 12 billion yuan a year, with an average annual growth rate of 5-6 percent, making it one of the largest markets in the world.

According to him, Russia firstly obtained a certificate to supply dairy products to China at the end of 2018 and a quarantine certificate for dry dairy products in 2020.

"Currently, more than 50 Russian dairy companies obtained export certificates to China," Mr. Belov said. Russia mainly exports full-cream dairy products and is one of the top five suppliers of ice cream to China.

The best model for the future, according to Mr. Belov, would be for Russian companies not only to export to China but also to set up factories there.

Russia exported more than 1 million tons of dairy products in 2021, 15 percent more than in 2020, and the value of exports increased 29 percent to $470 million. China's top five dairy suppliers include Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Belarus, the United States and Uzbekistan. China has become a major importer of whole milk powder and whey powder.

According to the research report released by the AgroExport Center of the Federal Agro-Industrial Complex Products of the Russian Ministry of Agriculture, China's import volume of major dairy products increased in 2021, including whey powder, skim milk powder, whole milk powder and processed milk.