How is Belarus doing with potatoes? Vegetable number one is in Lukashenko's spotlight today

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko is on a working trip to the Mogilev region on August 28. The Head of State is visiting OJSC "Rassvet named after K.P. Orlovsky" in the Kirovsk district, BELTA correspondent reports.

The discussion will focus on the development of potato growing in the country, from the selection of domestic varieties to the production of chips and starch. The President will also be informed about the organization of field work not only in the farms of the Mogilev region and Kirovsk district, but also throughout Belarus.

During the trip, Alexander Lukashenko plans to visit a potato field at the "Rassvet named after K.P. Orlovsky" farm. The focus of the Head of State will be on the progress of potato harvesting, its processing and storage technology, and the overall development of potato growing in the country.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, annual potato production in the public sector allows for meeting domestic needs and having surplus resources for export. However, this year the demand for Belarusian potatoes in other countries was so high that it led to shortages in domestic stores. The Head of State had to intervene in the situation. On May 8 of this year, Alexander Lukashenko noted that in Russia, prices for the same potatoes were several times higher than in Belarus. Therefore, producers were focused on the Russian market.

"Recently, they told me in the government: 'Alexander Grigoryevich, don't worry: we have a few tens of thousands of tons of seed potatoes - we will sell them.' I say: 'Guys, I am a historian. Remember, during the Great Patriotic War, people were starving in Leningrad, but they saved the grains so that there would be bread later. And do you think that in Russia and other countries where there is a potato deficit today, this deficit will be exhausted tomorrow? No. It will last for several more years. We have seed potatoes. Let's endure for another month (who doesn't like potatoes?), and we will plant this. We will get ten times more than we planted, and then we will sell it at a good price.' Therefore, this is such a cunning, perhaps, peasant idea," the Head of State noted.

"If anyone is worried about potatoes, we will hold out for a month. But we will not be without potatoes," Alexander Lukashenko emphasized.

According to him, the Committee of State Control has been instructed to investigate the situation in all retail chains and see what products are lacking.

"And then I will summon the governors and ask: guys, I warned you in the autumn that you need to create stabilization funds. That is, to put aside reserves to feed people. And what is this? Potatoes first and foremost. Apples and so on. Where is it? Of course, the farmers must receive money. If they do not sell potatoes (for export. - BELTA note) and do not receive foreign currency, then we will have to support them from the budget. We would not want that. We have teachers, doctors, and pensioners who are not wealthy. This is also a lesson for us. I think this will be the last such lesson for the entire power vertical. We need to put the storage facilities in order, stock up on the best potatoes in the world, so that our people never suffer from this misfortune," the President emphasized.

belta.by