Lukashenko: our agricultural organisations able to harvest good crops

Belarusian farmers are able to harvest good crops – as stated today by the President of Belarus at a conference call on the issues of the harvesting campaign. Aleksandr Lukashenko recalled that preparations for the harvesting campaign began last autumn. These included trips to the regions and revealing the problems, where the state’s help and the direct intervention of the President were needed.

In this regard, the Head of State stressed, “All your wishes to help the village have been supported by me. The necessary decisions on the allocation of budget loans for the purchase of mineral fertilisers, fuels and lubricants, and the repair of equipment have been adopted. Therefore, I have every right to demand, as harshly as possible, high results. Moreover, last year’s practice has shown that our agricultural organisations are able to harvest good crops. I set the task to gain a foothold at the level of about 9.5-10 million tonnes of grain of all kinds.”

However, the Head of State noted, according to the assurance of the Government, which again blames the weather, this year the figure will be 10-15 percent fewer, “Meanwhile, the projected gross grain harvest (including rapeseed, corn, and colza) will be a little more than 9 million tonnes – less than last year. And this is what is now growing. This still needs to be harvested without losses and sent to storage. The government assures us that this amount is almost enough for us to provide our country with food and fodder grain. I have absolutely no doubt about it.”

At the same time, Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that he had made a decision to purchase a certain amount of grain in Russia, “The price is now close to the cost of our grain, i.e., it is cheap. I would like to hear today what has been done in this regard. Grain today is akin to gold and foreign exchange reserves. It is always useful and is constantly growing in price. At least, there have never been and never will be such prices on the world market as now. That’s for sure. And if we have free capacities, why not fill them with a reserve of grain.”