A. Lukashenko considers it necessary to identify reserves for improving the economic condition of agricultural enterprises.

On March 22, Minsk / Vladimir Matveev - BELTA /. President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko believes it is necessary to identify additional reserves that need to be mobilized to improve the economic condition of the country's agricultural enterprises. The Head of State stated this today during the government's report on the results of rural development in 2005-2010 and the tasks for implementing the state program for the development of rural territories for 2011-2015, a BELTA correspondent reports. As Alexander Lukashenko noted, strategically important issues of the country's agro-industrial complex development are to be considered. In particular, the government has submitted a new state program for the development of rural territories for 2011-2015 for approval. "This is the fourth agrarian program in a row. It was preceded by three, the implementation of which allowed us not only to overcome a serious decline in the industry in the post-perestroika years but also to achieve its dynamic growth. Thanks to this, we have ensured food security for Belarus, thereby creating a solid foundation for the socio-political stability of our society," said the Belarusian leader. According to him, the current global food situation shows that the significance of the successful development of the agro-industrial complex is constantly increasing. Agricultural products are increasingly becoming a strategic resource in the world market. "And unlike natural resources, we can significantly increase this resource, deriving enormous benefit for the country and the people, and increasing food exports," believes the Head of State. "If in the past unfavorable year, $3.3 billion was received from foreign supplies of our agrarian sector, then by 2015 it is necessary to reach the mark of more than $7 billion. The achievement of this will be facilitated by the growing global demand for food and our capabilities for more effective agricultural development. At the same time, global food prices tend to rise."

This task is to be fully addressed by the new agrarian programme. However, before proceeding to its detailed discussion, Alexander Lukashenko proposed to analyse the results of the implementation of what was planned for 2005-2010. The Head of State stressed the need to objectively assess successes and shortcomings in order to learn lessons for the future and prevent disruptions in development. In this regard, the President demanded from the rapporteurs not a simple statement of facts, but an identification of the causes of negative phenomena, primarily such as the huge debt of agricultural organisations, low profitability of sales, lag behind forecast indicators in the pace of production growth and product range. "Why are new, more effective rural management mechanisms being slowly introduced in the industry?" - Alexander Lukashenko posed the question. In this connection, he considers it necessary to "determine what additional reserves need to be mobilised to improve the economic condition of agricultural enterprises". It is also necessary to determine how to increase the return on investment in crop production and animal husbandry, and how to bring the work of the entire processing industry to a global level. "When discussing the new programme, I would like to hear from the participants of the meeting an assessment of how it is aimed at intensifying the agro-industrial complex, ensuring the competitiveness of domestic products, reducing costs, and increasing labour productivity," the Head of State noted. He also inquired about how regional specialisation of production and the satisfaction of the entire population's demand for a wide range of food products, including buckwheat, vegetables, fruits, and other foodstuffs, are taken into account. In addition, the President drew the participants' attention to the issue of how stable the financial support for the new programme will be. The most important issue, the Belarusian leader is convinced, remains the formation of a personnel corps capable of solving agrarian problems at the level of modern requirements, and how to motivate them to improve the economic results of production activities. It is also important to outline the prospects for the development of the social sphere of rural areas, and further plans for the improvement of agro-towns and villages. "No reports, no politics, no personal interests - only assessments: what has been done, what has not been done, and how we will act in this direction," Alexander Lukashenko emphasised, addressing the participants of the meeting.During the implementation of the state program for the revival and development of rural areas for 2005-2010, significant work was carried out to develop the production sector of the countryside and the social infrastructure of rural areas. In 2010 alone, BYR 9.1 trillion of investment in fixed assets was used for the development of agriculture, which is 2.6 times more than in 2005. As a result, the technical and technological base of agriculture was substantially updated in 2005-2010: almost 1.5 thousand dairy farms were reconstructed and built, and modern machinery necessary for agricultural organizations was supplied. The established network of 1481 agro-towns, evenly distributed throughout the country, has made it possible to ensure social standards not only for the population living in them but also for the residents of adjacent territories. Concentration of agricultural production has been ensured: the area of agricultural land per farm has increased by 1.4 times over 6 years, reaching more than 5 thousand hectares. A total of BYR 128.2 trillion was allocated for the program implementation, which is almost one-third more than the planned volume. The state program for 2011-2015 has been developed to create conditions for the priority socio-economic development of rural territories and to increase the efficiency of the agro-industrial complex. It is comprehensive and includes 18 programs of various levels. In accordance with it, in 2015, profit from the sale of goods, products, works, and services in agriculture is expected to increase more than 9 times compared to the 2010 level, reaching over BYR 3.5 trillion. The planned sales profitability is 10-11%. In general, the production growth rate in farms of all categories in 2011-2015 is planned at 139-145%. -0-

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