Despite holiday, Lukashenko began with criticism upon his arrival

During his visit to Polotsk, President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko instructed to decide on the Vitebsk Region development strategy, and first of all, its agro-industrial complex, BelTA reports

“What are we going to do with or in the Vitebsk Region?” the Head of State asked the officials, primarily the Agriculture and Food Minister, immediately upon his arrival in the city. “I want to warn you: in March, if this President stays, you will report to me in detail (together with the aides responsible for the region and the governor) what we will do with the Vitebsk Region. As rural people say, it couldn’t be any worse than the way the Vitebsk Region is working.”

“People should live and work here. They should find their place and their salary here,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed. “There is no order, no discipline, no responsibility. It’s horrible. Everything should be determined: which kind of field and what kind of fodder base to be used for a farm or facility. But the conditions should be good for people at this facility or farm.”

The Head of State warned officials not to even try to mess up something: the farming culture is low, soil-conserving ploughing is not proper, grain losses are colossal.

“We need intensive agriculture, not extensive farming at the expense of acreage,” the President underlined. “As long as you can see the ground, before the snow covers it, fly around from above, look and think what we will do. But you will be responsible for the experiment in the Vitebsk Region that you have been conducting since the time of Sherstnev.”