30 September, Minsk / Alina Grishkevich - BELTA/. The agricultural sector is becoming one of the most important sources of replenishing the country's foreign exchange reserves. This was stated by the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, speaking today at the republican festival-fair of agricultural workers "Dazhynki-2011", according to a BELTA correspondent. The Head of State emphasized: "We still remember the times when we had to purchase large volumes of grain and other food products abroad. And this year, our exports should amount to $4 billion. The agricultural sector is becoming one of the most important sources of replenishing the country's foreign exchange reserves, which we lack so much now." The President stressed that Belarus has developed a mechanism for increasing the production of agricultural products, which has allowed its volume to increase by 53% in recent years. For most types of products per capita, the country consistently ranks first in the CIS. Alexander Lukashenko drew attention to how the Belarusian village has been transformed after the creation of almost one and a half thousand agro-towns. In them, the social package differs little from that in the city. Over five years, more than 80 thousand rural families have moved into new homes. Thus, the funds invested in the countryside were not in vain. There is a positive effect in both the food and social spheres.-0-

BELTA