27 July, Korelichi District /Olga Belyavskaya - BELTA/. At least ten flax processing plants in Belarus will be modernized using European technologies. This was stated today by the Prime Minister of Belarus, Mikhail Myasnikovich, during a working trip to Korelichi District, as reported by a BELTA correspondent. The head of government noted that a significant modernization will affect 12-15 flax processing plants in total. "At least ten of them will be equipped with European technologies," emphasized Mikhail Myasnikovich. Three flax processing plants have already been modernized in Grodno, Brest, and Vitebsk regions using modern technologies. "Once the remaining ones are equipped, it will be possible to realistically talk about obtaining 60 thousand tons of high-quality flax fiber," added the Prime Minister. Special attention is currently paid to the project for the reconstruction and modernization of the Orsha Flax Combine as the main flax fiber processor in Belarus. "The project involves not only the replacement of equipment; it is about moving towards finished products, where the added value share is the highest," explained Mikhail Myasnikovich. Answering journalists' questions about the prospects of forming flax holdings in Belarus, the Prime Minister said that the consolidation of flax processing plants into large companies are quite promising projects, but they should not be mechanical mergers. "If we fail to refine individual links in the industry, we may end up with an unhealthy structure, so the task now is to seriously modernize the flax processing plants," he stressed. Only after obtaining high-quality flax fiber can we talk about integration in the industry, Mikhail Myasnikovich is confident. "There are proposals from Vitebsk residents to create a regional flax holding," said the head of government. "This idea has merit, but we need to look at the economics of the entire enterprise to avoid ruining the idea." Today, Mikhail Myasnikovich familiarized himself with the progress of the grain crop harvest and fodder procurement by the agricultural workers of the Krasnoarmeyskaya poultry farm, and visited OJSC Korelichi-Len, where he met with representatives of the enterprise's labor collective. -0-

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