Harvesting: discipline, quality, responsibility

The President of Belarus continues to personally control the course of the harvesting campaign. Aleksandr Lukashenko is inspecting fields, dairy complexes, and the state of mechanical yards. The Head of State carefully delves into all the nuances of the agro-industrial complex.

Last week, the President made two important regional working trips. Thus, Aleksandr Lukashenko visited the agricultural branch of Minskoblagroservis OJSC in the Myadel District of the Minsk Region. This is a model for the creation of new farms, taking into account modern approaches: there is a good mechanical yard for storing and servicing energy-saturated equipment, a modern grain drying complex. Nearby is storage. For the conditions of Belarus, such complexes are especially important for drying the harvested grain and putting it in storage.
The President stressed the importance of involving unused abandoned lands in circulation, bringing the existing infrastructure from old small farms to perfection, on the basis of which it is necessary to create new large farms. This is a task not only for the Myadel District and more northern territories of the Vitebsk region, but also for the country as a whole.
Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that at one time, as part of the modernisation of the village, more attention was paid to the development of agro-towns and the social sphere, “We understood that it is necessary to create conditions for people. We rushed to the agro-towns, set standards, began to revive the village. And we got a little carried away by the social base. There was a twist. 

Therefore, now we are focusing on the material base so that people can work. Work is wages. Then it is possible to put the agro-town in order, and people will live in this agro-town. The moment is now the rise of the material base. That is the intention and purpose of my visit. It is necessary to create farms according to this type and model.”

The President emphasised the importance of the Minsk Region for the development of the country as a whole, including in the agro-industrial complex, and therefore it is important to bring agricultural production in the region to a high level, “If we pull the Minsk Region to the required level, the state will be OK. Half of the country is the Minsk Region.”
Discussing with experts the export of Belarusian agricultural products, the Head of State noted, “Just do not make the domestic market empty.”
As the Agriculture and Food Minister Igor Brylo assured, ‘there will be no problems with the domestic market’.
Aleksandr Lukashenko took a detailed interest in the progress and quality of harvesting, including the harvesting of winter rapeseed and buckwheat.

Later, the President talked to reporters. The Head of State explained why Belarus does not plan to export part of the grain harvest: it is important to get a product with a high added value, for example, modern fodder, using grain. And it is even more profitable to use grain for the needs of animal husbandry, to obtain dairy and meat products. In addition, this is the creation of new jobs in processing, salaries of people and the social sphere.
“Some states sell a lot of wheat, rye, corn, and then buy milk, meat,” noted the President. “We get grain and some of it we use for consumption, malting barley, bread baking, confectionery, and also for animal feed. So far, I do not see that we can sell grain.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko, in a conversation with journalists, commented on the aggravation of the situation in Serbia and spoke about the possibility of supporting this country, 

“It is necessary to separate the leadership and ordinary people. Put yourselves in my shoes, how would you all understand this. Of course, the Serbian people must be helped and will have to be helped. We are such people. But we take into account Serbia’s policy towards Belarus. Well, if they want to sit there, as they say, on three chairs, they won’t succeed. I mean Russia, the European Union, America and others... And everywhere they want it to be good. But they will not be allowed to sit on all these chairs, and above all, the European Union, where they are so eager. There is a problem.”

The President recalled how he once made a visit to Serbia in 1999, actually under NATO bombing, “If you go there, risking your life... It was really dangerous. Until now, before my eyes, there is a case when NATO (they bombed everything there) let us fly to a height, as I fly in a helicopter, 500 meters. They thought I would be back. No, I ordered the pilots: we will fly at 500 meters. Of course, they could shoot down the plane, but they did not dare. That would be extraordinary. I still flew under the bombing.”

He drew attention to the fact that a few years after that, the leadership of Serbia joined some sanctions, “Now I’m confused. But, on the other hand, these are our people. Serbs are good, intelligent people. Well, they were not lucky, probably, in something, like some others.”
During a conversation with media representatives, Aleksandr Lukashenko responded to those dissatisfied in Ukraine with the position of Belarus. The Head of State noted that some in Ukrainian resources voiced claims against the Belarusian side: ‘Here admired Lukashenko... But how could he do this?!’.

“And I react so sharply: how could the Ukrainians declare an economic war on us with our position then, before the war? We were pursuing a friendly, peace-loving position. We supported the Ukrainians wherever we could,” said Aleksandr Lukashenko. “They imposed economic sanctions against us, closed the sky and so on. And they began to beat us at the behest of the Americans. So you look at how you acted before this Russian military operation. So I still have the patience...”

The President also drew attention to the fact that every day, especially on weekends, up to 500 people from Ukraine come to Belarus, “We do not kill or bury them, as the Poles once killed and buried people on the border. We feed them, we treat them and give citizenship and jobs to many. But some are coming back. A day later they come again to buy something, ask.”
Journalists asked why such a tense situation is developing in the world right now. Aleksandr Lukashenko noted this, 

“No, it’s not now. Remember, when COVID began, many did not understand me, someone hated me when they talked about coronapsychosis. And then I tried to explain why it was happening, why it was all, and I said that this was the beginning of the redivision of the world. They are trying to change the world. Every strong person, as he considers himself, is trying to bite off his neighbour, somewhere else, in order to secure the future and his influence, as far as he psychologically understands this. Look, it is all over the world. 

And, of course, the United States is at the forefront. They probably don’t even need to bite. They have another problem, which is to maintain this dominance. And in order to do this, they act in this way.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko named COVID among the reasons for the rapidly changing situation in the world, “The pandemic has exacerbated all these ulcers. Remember, the ‘helicopter’ money was scattered by the European Union, the Americans stamped it. I said it would come out sideways to you. Right now inflation in the world is frenzied, and inflation is a very difficult time for the economy. And we are trying to resist all this, as long as it is tolerable.”
The President also expressed the opinion that among the reasons for the aggravation of the situation in the world is the irrational management of states, which gives rise to many economic problems for people.
“Who would have thought that a prosperous Germany would recommend to its people not taking showers every day (and even forbid it in some cases). Germans are advised to take a shower twice a week. So everywhere ... shortage of goods and so on. This situation always gives rise to conflicts and wars. Due to this, they want to show that they are effective, and to divert people from these problems. And, in Ukraine, there is a war, you must endure it. Well, until the time people will endure, and then they will ask,” continued the Head of State.
The President drew attention to the fact that there is indeed a set of reasons for the growing tension in the world, “Now they are trying to sell us monkeypox, but the people did not react. They returned COVID. Yes, we have long said that COVID will become a seasonal disease. You just need to treat people. And we need to look after ourselves, lead a healthy lifestyle.”
In a conversation with journalists, the Head of State also promised to protect children from the Riga Children’s Academy of Radio and Television and their families. These people were subjected to severe harassment in Latvia after they approached the President of Belarus with a request to ask a few questions.
“Of course, we  will protect these families and these children. Let them come. We have enough space,” the Belarusian leader concluded.

Also last week, the President made a working trip to the Postavy District of the Vitebsk Region. 
Aleksandr Lukashenko was clearly not pleased with what he saw from the helicopter. Criticised openly and directly. He paid special attention to the safety of feed for the needs of animal husbandry.


“If only the State Control Committee reports to me that you are feeding livestock in the country with rotten food, you will be personally liable,” the President said to the Agriculture and Food Minister Igor Brylo. “You are a doctor, a veterinarian ... Do we want to kill livestock?”
A separate requirement is for Vladimir Andreichenko, authorised representative of the Head of State in the region, “You are responsible in the Vitebsk Region, so that there is an iron discipline. If you need the army, let’s involve the army. If you need the police, we give you all our forces here. I say publically that we need iron discipline! War is worse than cruel discipline. War begins when we lose our sense and stop working. So let’s wake up and make it work.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko reminded the responsible persons, “There are no weekends in the harvest time. Every hour counts. Don’t even go anywhere and complain. This applies to managers, specialists, and machine operators. 

Do not go anywhere to complain about the rigidity of decisions made by the management of enterprises. And to the present governors, members of the Government, authorised persons I say again: the control must be severe. All rights are given to the leaders, and they must be demanded first of all.”

After visiting the enterprises, Aleksandr Lukashenko held a meeting in Postavy on the work of agro-industrial associations of the Vitebsk Region. The fact that the integration structures of the agricultural complex of the Vitebsk Region for our country is almost a national project has been repeatedly mentioned. As well as the fact that, if successful, this experience can be replicated in other regions. Yesterday we summed up the intermediate results again. The Head of State held a meeting with the participation of the leaders of the region, the minister and the relevant vice-premier at the Postavy Dairy Plant, and analysed the nuances of the association’s work. They talked about what has been done, what hasn’t been done, and how to improve work efficiency.

The idea that loss-making farms, as a raw material zone, should be attached to meat or milk processing enterprises, creating united agricultural structures, is what the country needs. This is the best way to concentrate profits. The Head of State noted that there will be integration structures in the Vitebsk Region.
Aleksandr Lukashenko also noted that the basis of stability in society is a strong economy, 

“This is the foundation, this is the main thing. The economy is the basis of everything. It will be when we work. We have everything to work. It just lacks discipline and responsibility. Some, not all. You can see clearly those who are underworking.”

Consolidation of farms should be continued, the Head of State is sure. But at the same time, there should not be an artificial unification, the issue must be approached consciously.


Based on materials of sb.by and belta.by
Photos by BELTA