Working trip to Zhitkovichi District, Gomel Oblast

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko made a working trip to Zhitkovichi District, Gomel Oblast, on 14 August.

The head of state toured the farm of Mikhail Shrub, which was established in 1993. In 2002, following the merger with the Path of Communism collective farm, the agricultural land area increased to 1,860 hectares. A new impetus for development came in 2010, after the President visited the farm.

During the visit to the farm, the discussion turned to the possibility of merging land from struggling farms with more successful ones. Mikhail Shrub noted that he is in need of additional agricultural land. Earlier, land from one of the farms in Zhitkovichi District had been transferred to his management, but it is located at some distance, creating certain logistical challenges. In this regard, the question arose about transferring land from a neighboring farm if it is not being used efficiently enough. As the head of state noted, if an agricultural enterprise fails to deliver adequate results on good land, it raises legitimate questions about why that is the case.

The President instructed that this issue be looked into, but also laid down a clear condition for agricultural enterprises seeking state support: “The main thing is results. It’s time to move away from wishful thinking.”

The head of state also named another criterion considered when deciding on the transfer of land to farms. “We immediately look at what the land is intended for. Many want to focus on crop farming but not livestock. But how am I supposed to feed the people - on bread alone? We need meat and milk. That is why I encourage farmers to approach these matters comprehensively,” he explained.

The President instructed that the issue of possibly transferring land to the farm be thoroughly examined and a concrete solution proposed no later than November. The views of both the farm management and the local authorities should be taken into account. Addressing Mikhail Shrub, Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed that his perspective must be fully understood before any decision is made. “Tell the truth, as you see it. Otherwise, why would I have come here? For the future development of the country, I need the truth,” he said.

The President received a detailed briefing on the performance indicators, areas of activity, production growth trends, and future plans of Mikhail Shrub’s farm. The farm specializes in dairy and beef cattle farming and meat processing, pig farming, vegetable growing, and vegetable processing. It is a key agricultural enterprise in Zhitkovichi District, accounting for more than 30% of the district’s gross agricultural output.

Last year, the farm produced over 27,000 tonnes of milk, nearly 3,000 tonnes of meat, as well as around 11,000 tonnes of vegetables and more than 7,500 tonnes of grain, including corn.

Since the farm visited by the President is located in Pripyat Polesie, he drew attention to the development program for this area covering 2025-2030. The goal of this strategy is to achieve tangible results, as the head of state pointed out. “The essence of the entire Polesie program, on which we are spending considerable funds, lies in these results,” the President emphasized.