Lukashenko: food-related tension is serious around the globe, and it will get stronger
The President headed a big meeting in Gomel today on development of the regional agro-industrial complex. Among the issues on the agenda were the state of affairs in agriculture and the Gomel Region’s contribution to the development of Belarus’ agro-industrial complex, as well as the agricultural directions in the area, taking into account climate change. The development strategy was studied as well.
At the beginning of the meeting, the Head of State noted that – although the climate is changing – the tasks remain complex and unchanged. New challenges are emerging, and people in the Gomel Region feel them more than anyone in Belarus. With this in view, Aleksandr Lukashenko warned that the conversation would be serious, “So please accept it like true men, with no offense. I had to announce our event in advance in order to locally study in detail what is happening in the agro-industrial complex of the region. You had time to get prepared. After this meeting, each of you should return to your district, to your farm to work very hard, strenuously and with full dedication, also demanding the same [attitude] from your subordinates. There is no other way to reverse the negative trends in the work of the region.”
As noted by the President, talks about the importance of food security and the agricultural sector may have already filled someone's teeth, “Meanwhile, those in Belarus and beyond have got convinced already that we were right to place a stake on food.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko recalled the recent CSTO summit in Armenia, where military and political issues were primarily discussed, “However, virtually all speeches touched upon food security issues. All heads of state spoke about them, which indicates that there is a very serious tension with food in the world, and this trend will enhance. It is no need to explain to you who benefits from this. This year, our country has worked hard – rolling up its sleeves, as I say – to produce a decent result. More than 2m tonnes grain were harvested in the Minsk Region, 1.5m tonnes in the Grodno and Brest regions each. Vitebsk and Mogilev crossed a million-tonne line.”
At the same time, the Head of State noted that the Minsk Region actually comprises half of the country, “Therefore, the task its leadership faces is to harvest 3m tonnes of grain next year.”
In this regard, the President asked reasonable questions, “What is the contribution of the Gomel Region to this result? Alas, there is nothing to be proud of. Only corn overcame the million-tonne milestone here. What about meat and milk? The whole country is progressing, while you are moving down!”
