The upcoming year for agriculture will be a year of farming culture with a special emphasis on land reclamation, discipline, and personnel. This was stated on August 28 by the President of the Republic of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko, during his visit to the "Ryasna" branch of OJSC "Belovezhsky".
The upcoming year for agriculture will be a year of farming culture with a special emphasis on land reclamation, discipline, and personnel. This was stated on August 28 by the President of the Republic of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko, during his visit to the "Ryasna" branch of OJSC "Belovezhsky".
The President stressed that ensuring discipline in agriculture is currently the number one issue. The state pays special attention to this sector, provides support, including financial, and equips the agro-industrial complex with high-performance modern machinery. "Iron discipline to maintain the equipment," the President said. "We need an iron leader, iron order."
Strict adherence to technologies is also of great importance. "If there are no technologies, it is a crime," emphasized Aleksandr Lukashenko. "A criminal is someone who buries grain in the ground and then watches and waits for the harvest. This is a crime, and it cannot be allowed."
"The upcoming year for agriculture will be a year of farming culture," said the President.
The Head of State also touched upon this topic during his conversation with representatives of the work collective of OJSC "Belovezhsky" and residents of the village of Ryasna. "Without discipline, we will be on a downward trend," the President believes. "With discipline and order, including technological order, we will develop."
Aleksandr Lukashenko believes that in the future it is necessary to "think about how to reward people – both managers and specialists – for raising such farms."
The President stressed that "people who work well should also earn well, live well, and be an example to others." "In Belarus today, only a loafer can live poorly," Aleksandr Lukashenko is confident. Everything is in the hands of a person, and he himself must first of all take care of himself and his family, and then demand from the state.
During his visit to the Ryasna branch, Alexander Lukashenko was informed about the completion of grain harvesting and fodder procurement in Belarus. The conversation also touched upon corn harvesting. The President ordered that where it is more expedient, corn should be harvested not for grain, but used for fodder procurement. The Head of State also instructed to develop a strategy for rapeseed cultivation, which will stipulate that those farms where it is most profitable should engage in growing this crop.
Alexander Lukashenko familiarised himself with the progress of his instructions on establishing technological order at the dairy farms annexed to OJSC "Belovezhsky" from the former SPC "Sovetskaya Belorussiya". The President, in particular, visited the MTP "Oberovshchina" farm, where he was presented with the results of its reconstruction and technical re-equipment. Here, the Head of State also familiarised himself with the technological process of high-quality milk production. In addition, the President visited the farm's mechanical yard and studied how the work is organised to ensure high technical readiness and efficient operation of the modern machine and tractor fleet.
Alexander Lukashenko also communicated with representatives of the working collective of OJSC "Belovezhsky" and residents of the village of Ryasna.
The Head of State was asked about the further pricing policy. In the President's opinion, processes in this area should not be excessively managed.
"I could have said before the elections: everything will be fine and so on. Everything will indeed be normal, we will not perish. But this is not the main issue today. The issue is not prices, or even wages. Economic wars are ongoing, primarily in finance. China devalued its yuan by about 10% - it hit the whole world! Closer to us: Russia devalued its ruble three times, it hit us, our prices in Russia are half as much for the same meat, milk. Kazakhstan devalued its national currency for the second time. Also our partner. I won't even mention Ukraine," the President noted.
"What is the objective of the leaders of these states? To save production and the country. How should we act in this situation? We do not have the same market economy as they do; we can control and manage certain processes, including pricing, but not excessively," said the Head of State. According to him, if prices are kept down in the country while they rise elsewhere, production will halt, primarily in industry. "Therefore, whether you like it or not, you have to adapt and manoeuvre; we have to somehow keep pace with everyone else," noted Alexander Lukashenko.
The President pointed out that agriculture in the country is still subsidised. "For some, this is a matter of survival. We cannot incorporate everything into the price. If we raise prices, we may become uncompetitive with others. Therefore, we are forced to subsidise. The whole world supports agriculture, some more, some less, so we have to as well. But if the price of your produce is higher, then your income is higher. However, there is another side to this coin that affects people – prices in shops," said the Belarusian leader.
"We will get through this year, and I think next year will be easier. Even with all these negatives. Because, it seems to me, in our region, we have already hit rock bottom and there is nowhere further to fall. Therefore, we are going through the hardest times," believes the Head of State.
According to Alexander Lukashenko, market diversification should yield results. Belarus is actively expanding its product exports to Asia, Africa, and Latin America. "I think what we lose in Russia, we will compensate for in these markets," noted the President. "But we need to work a little harder."
"We must preserve the country for our children. It will be bad if we become someone's region again," believes the Belarusian leader. According to him, it is necessary to live in harmony with both Europe and Russia, but to live on one's own land. "Peace and security cannot be bought or sold, just like health. This is what we need to protect," emphasised the President.
"Why the dollar? To buy imports and go on holiday to Egypt?" the Head of State addressed those present. "We will get through it. Take Belovezhskaya Pushcha – no stuffiness, wonderful air. Braslav Lakes. There are plenty of lakes, they have become a bit shallower, but there is enough water. We will holiday at home during this difficult time," noted the President.
According to Alexander Lukashenko, the country produces excellent products. The modernization of the worsted wool mill and the flax industry is nearing completion, and the full range of cotton products is being manufactured. "Markets have emerged, we are selling, and our Belarusian products are bought with pleasure," the Head of State noted.
"Let's wear our own, Belarusian things!" the President continued. "We will wear normal Belarusian underwear and clothes, use Belarusian towels, and eat Belarusian food. There are no longer any problems with food. Everyone has already understood what Belarusian means, even far beyond our borders." "Our products are clean, we have preserved the GOST standards. After all, food and clothing are human health," the Head of State added.
"We know how to do everything, we do everything, but we need to look more at ourselves, at our own country, and buy our own. If 10 million people consume and the 2 million who constantly move through us do so, then there will be very little left to sell outside the country – there will be no problems. Therefore, we also need to change our own psychology," the President believes.
"We have a group of speculators, as in any country, who are used to playing games: buy today, resell tomorrow. No, I do not advise playing gambling games with the state. The exchange rate has now been released. If you want to buy dollars, pay the price that is formed on the market. We are not holding it back, we are just monitoring prices. And holding it back is dangerous," the Head of State noted. He emphasized that holding back the exchange rate can also harm those who bring currency into the country. "If he brings dollars and wants to sell them, and we try to suppress and hold them back, a black market will appear (we have been through this), there will be two exchange rates – this is a catastrophe," the President added.
On the eve of the new academic year, the Head of State was also asked a question regarding school education, drawing attention to the students' workload with homework.
Alexander Lukashenko agreed that children in schools are overloaded and promised to resolve this issue.
He noted that the country has begun to improve the general education process. A new Minister of Education has been appointed for this task. The President intends to review the progress of work in this direction in the near future.
"Children spend 6 hours, rarely 5, at school and 2-3 hours at home – they are working hard, including on Saturdays. And what have I noticed? Well, children have stopped being children under these loads! Some are hunched over, some have scoliosis – an unhealthy generation," the President noted. "5-6 lessons, plus 2 at home – that's 8 hours. Listen, 11 years old is a child, can they endure this?"
The Head of State emphasized that it was for this reason that the decision was made to dedicate Saturdays to labour training and physical education. However, according to him, many schools have taken a different approach: "Everyone decided that Saturday is a day off, no work. No, Saturday is a day to rest the brain, to engage in physical activity, so that children grow up normally."
"Children are overloaded even after certain measures have been taken. And we are currently refining them. But I am afraid of going too far," the Head of State added.
He recalled that in higher education, the duration of study has already been reduced for many specialities, except for medical ones. But, in the President's opinion, there is still work to be done. "There is too much that needs to be removed," the Head of State believes.
"It is a difficult process, it cannot be done immediately, because one must proceed very cautiously," said Alexander Lukashenko.
At the same time, the President emphasized that, on the whole, Belarusian education is not inferior to global standards.
Alexander Lukashenko promised that from the next academic year, school textbooks will be simplified. According to him, this process has already begun. "We will completely rework them! We will relieve children at school from being force-fed subjects and volumes of knowledge from higher education," said the Head of State.
Alexander Lukashenko noted that much has already been transferred from higher education to the school curriculum. "Why? At school, a foundation should be created, a person should be oriented to understand whether they will go to work in agriculture, or in another field, so that they clearly realize it. And they should be given the necessary volume of knowledge that they can absorb. Children are different. And in secondary school, selection will occur: some will go to higher education, some to colleges and technical schools, some to vocational schools," the Head of State believes.
Returning to the topic of rural areas, residents drew attention to the issue of food security.
The President stressed that there are no grounds for concern regarding the consequences of the drought for the country's food security. Despite the natural anomalies, Belarus has harvested a good grain crop this year. Approximately 500 million tonnes less have been threshed than in 2014. At the same time, the country has created a reserve of 2 million tonnes. "Therefore, the population has nothing to worry about. We already have exactly as much grain as we need for the state order today, and farms are now asking us to take grain from them," said Alexander Lukashenko.
The President admitted that due to the drought, he is concerned about the situation in Polesie, as this region has suffered more than others. In the near future, the head of state intends to personally familiarise himself with the state of affairs in these lands.
"But I have no doubt that the country will not notice the consequences of this drought," the President emphasised.