Agriculture is an important factor in national security

The Head of State Aleksandr Lukashenko focuses on the work of the economy in general and the situation in agriculture in particular. At the very beginning, the President inspected the course of the harvesting campaign in Minsk, Grodno and Brest Regions from a helicopter. Later, the Belarusian leader personally assessed the situation in the farms of the Brest and Grodno Regions. By the way, this time the President did not go to solve any burning problems. Brest Region and Grodno Region are in the lead as far as agribusiness is concerned. Needless to say that the agricultural enterprises Belovezhsky and Olekshitsy, which Aleksandr Lukashenko visited in Kamenets District and Berestovitsa District, are doing great.

belta

According to experts, on many issues one can learn here and take an example of how to develop the industry in other regions. The key component is discipline and order, which the President demands from everyone tirelessly. 
As Aleksandr Lukashenko was told, overall harvest prospects across the country remain good for many crops despite fears during the drought period. However, corn and sugar beets are expected to yield better results than last year. Potato fields are also in good condition.
The Head of State traditionally wanted to learn about problems instead of accomplishments. He wondered whether there were reasons for concern as far as the overall harvesting complex is concerned.
“All the issues have been solved with your help. I mean both fuel supplies and availability of harvesters,” Deputy Prime Minister Leonid Zayats replied.

Tough requirement of the President for northern areas and domestic seeds

Aleksandr Lukashenko demanded to improve the situation in Vitebsk Region. It makes sense to plant more early crops there due to the region’s climatic conditions. Such crops include winter barley, rapeseed and a number of others, “This is my toughest demand — to sow early crops in the northern regions in order to start harvesting earlier. Let’s free up fields and sow winter crops earlier.”
The President had previously described winter rapeseed as ‘food, fodder and cash crop’. In other words, this is a raw material for rapeseed oil and animal feed, and a good export item. Winter barley has also earned a good reputation. 
The matter of more actively using Belarusian seeds was high on the agenda last week. According to experts, there are domestic seeds of different crops in the country. They are not bad. Some are even exported. But not all of them, and they are inferior to imported varieties in some parameters. And of course, agricultural enterprises are intent on achieving maximum performance. This is why they buy imported seeds.
In Kamenets District the Head of State examined wheat and rapeseed fields that had produced a good harvest using imported seeds. 
“The number one task is to make sure that we have them,” the President emphasised, noting that the provision of own seeds is not only import substitution, but also a matter of food security. It is also important to ensure the high quality of seeds, their compliance with high requirements. 
During a tour of a cattle farm in Berestovitsa District Aleksandr Lukashenko said he wanted the loss of cattle eradicated and mentioned that calves should be taken away from negligent farms and transferred to the farms where they will be given proper care.
The President recalled his instruction to transfer dairy herd to modern dairy complexes within five years. At the same time, Aleksandr Lukashenko urged to create good conditions for livestock maintenance and fattening.
Continuing the matter of reconstruction of dairy farms to convert them into modern dairy complexes, Aleksandr Lukashenko inspected new cow sheds and a milking and dairy unit in the agricultural enterprise Olekshitsy. 
During a trip to the agricultural enterprise Olekshitsy the Head of State was made familiar with progress of the harvesting campaign in the region. In a winter wheat field near the Podbagoniki site local harvester drivers met with Aleksandr Lukashenko. Hot meals had just been delivered to them and the farmers invited the President to lunch with them. Pea soup, mashed potatoes with patties, vegetables, bread and tea with a bun were on the menu. 

Aleksandr Kulevsky

‘We are preparing to defend our country at any moment’

While talking to residents of the agrotown of Belovezhsky, Aleksandr Lukashenko spoke not only about agriculture but also about the country’s social and economic development. He touched upon important matters that worry everyone and gave detailed answers to questions asked by the rural dwellers.
The President reaffirmed: Belarus is not going to attack anyone, but if necessary, one must be able to protect the state and people.
“Times are complicated. We are peaceful people, we’ve had enough wars in our history. As a historian, I know this well. I want you to understand that we are not rattling our sabres but are preparing to defend our country at any moment,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
The President noted that Belarus is counting on the support of fraternal Russia in this matter. The Head of State noted that the Russian leadership had responded even to the biggest requests from Belarus. Such as the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in the country. They are a security factor alongside the nuclear power plant, the President noted. 
“A nuclear country has never been attacked before,” he explained. “We have a nuclear power plant. This, I must tell you, is a very strong security factor: if it explodes, God forbid, all will be affected. Therefore, you have to be very careful with it. We see what is happening with the nuclear reactors in Ukraine.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko explained that more than half of the nuclear weapons that were planned to be deployed in the republic have already been delivered and dispersed throughout the country.
According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, more than half of the nuclear weapons that were planned to be deployed in Belarus have already been brought and dispersed across the country. “God forbid we have to use these weapons. I still hope that this will not happen,” the President added. “We don’t mess with anyone. Please don’t mess with us either. We will ensure our security with the help of our friends. Our western neighbours are going crazy. I just don’t know why they are acting the way they do. We had lived peacefully, calmly. Nobody had been stressing out anyone. Then crazy people came to power, I can’t call them otherwise, and things went off the rails. We do not interfere in their affairs. We want to have normal relations. Belarusians, Poles, Lithuanians have always lived together.”

On PMC Wagner, Poland and the Suwalki Corridor

During the meeting with local residents Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that more efforts will be poured into creating a contract army in Belarus. The President remarked that some units of the private military company (PMC) Wagner had joined the Russian regular army, some are working in Africa, and some are staying in Belarus. 
The Head of State said, “It was my initiative and I don’t regret it. I want to leave these guys in the armed forces of our country. And relying on them, I’d like to more actively create a contract army. Over there we have experienced people. They are mainly officers. It is their profession to fight or defend the country. This is why we are looking attentively at this experience in order to protect us in the future. It is our only goal. We don’t want a war and I think that everything will be normal. If the enemy sees that we will respond in kind, and they will incur irreparable losses, losses that will not be acceptable for them, they will never attack us.”
In response to concerns of some Western politicians, the President stressed that Belarus absolutely doesn’t need the Suwalki Corridor. The corridor is a land route that goes along the borders of Poland and Lithuania and could connect Belarus with Russia’s Kaliningrad Region. At the same time Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that Belarus will move its military units in its own territory any way it wants.
While talking to the President, residents of the agrotown admitted that they are concerned about actions of Polish authorities at the Belarusian border and the redeployment of Polish troops and weapons closer to the border.
Aleksandr Lukashenko remarked that Belarus closely watches this manoeuvring: “I don’t think they are trying to intimidate us. I don’t think that they are afraid of us. I don’t think that they are doing it due to changes of the situation. After all, they can see that we are not mobilising the army. We don’t redeploy troops here. We got into a decent international scuffle. The entire Europe. Americans have been destroying Europe since Trump’s time. They need to bet on someone. They are thousands of kilometres away after all. Do you remember the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union? What didn’t the UK like? Everything was normal. But the UK and the USA are bosom buddies. Their relations are even closer than ours with the Russian Federation. This is why the UK is their mainstay, their unsinkable aircraft carrier. On the other side there is Poland. They bet on Poland. Poland will still make problems for us. Not Poles. They are smart people. But their leaders have gone crazy. Americans will bet on them. 

Based on materials of sb.by and belta.by