Aleksandr Lukashenko visits Olshany agrotown in Brest Oblast

Land should be farmed by those who can do it in the most efficient way, President of the Republic of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko said during his working trip to Stolin District, Brest Oblast, on 13 April.

Aleksandr Lukashenko gave instructions to the government and local authorities to resolve the land issue by the autumn and find a reasonable balance between the interests of people and the state. “Your decisions should be simple and clear,” the President said.

“The problem should be dealt with. I do not care who will farm the land. Efficiency is what matters most. Land should belong to those who can manage it better. And we should stop this fuss,” the head of state said.

The government should work together with oblast governors to resolve the problem of purchasing and processing of vegetables grown in private plots and by farmers. The President remarked local residents and farmers grow a lot of vegetable products, but have problems selling them at a profit. “Why cannot we purchase these products and sell or process them? Can’t we set up a processing enterprise here?” asked the head of state. “It will cost nothing for the state because people grow them on their own," the head of state said.

Aleksandr Lukashenko said the vegetable products should be bought from the population at a fair price to be sold on the national market, to be processed and exported.

As far as the agro-town Olshany and Stolin District that the President visited are concerned, the local vegetables should be sold on the Minsk city market. "The government and Minsk City Hall should set up a logistics center and a processing enterprise here by autumn so that the problem is resolved once and for all. The territory is huge here. It should be encouraged and supported,” Aleksandr Lukashenko remarked.

In Stolin District Aleksandr Lukashenko visited the Semigostichi dairy farm.

At the beginning of the year, there were 4,626 dairy farms in Belarus, 289 of them had antiquated milking sheds. Some 198 are to be renovated and retrofitted in 2012, including 188 in Brest Oblast and 19 in Stolin District. The renovation will allow increasing cow population by 78,300 and milk production by 250,000 tonnes per year.

Construction and repair works are currently underway at 804 farms. He assured that the works will be concluded by October-November.

“All the works should be completed at 1,200 farms by the autumn,” the head of state said.

There are four ways to upgrade farms in Belarus: to stop milking into buckets, upgrade equipment, renovate farm buildings, build milking facilities, or demolish unworkable farms and build new ones.