Republic

POSTAVY, 20 July (BelTA) – President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has given one year for Vitebsk Oblast’s agriculture to become profitable. The head of state issued the relevant instruction during a working visit to the region on 20 July, BelTA has learned. “You are wallowing for the last year. Next year you will have to show some profitability,” Alexander Lukashenko told Vitebsk Oblast Governor Alexander Kosinets. The head of state stressed that Vitebsk Oblast should choose the crops that will grow best there. Alexander Lukashenko believes that heads of agricultural enterprises know which crops can provide maximum benefits in their lands. Oblast governors should keep the information in mind instead of enforcing crop cultivation plans from above. “Sometimes happens that an instruction from above to grow 2 million tonnes can result in minus 20% profitability. Once the figure is added to poultry, pork production, there is no profitability at all,” explained the President. “You need to smartly sow cereals. I believe that here, in the north of Belarus, there are only a handful of fields where cereals can be profitable,” said the head of state. Alexander Lukashenko also mentioned cattle grazing in flood plains. He believes that the matter is overlooked in Vitebsk Oblast. “Vitebsk Oblast is behind the rest of the country in this regard. I have seen no cattle grazing in a flood plain,” said the head of state. Alexander Lukashenko stressed that Vitebsk Oblast should focus on beef farming. Other kinds of animal husbandry will be unprofitable without state support. The President also pointed out poor use of intensive crop cultivation technologies in Vitebsk Oblast. Agriculture and Food Minister Mikhail Rusyi informed the head of state about the start and peculiarities of the cereals harvesting campaign in the country, in Vitebsk Oblast and in Postavy District in particular. In his words, all the oblasts have started the harvesting campaign. Vehicles have been prepared and deployed in fields. Alexander Lukashenko urged to go on with cereals harvesting as long as the weather favors it. The President changed his itinerary of visiting agricultural enterprises. He underlined that this practice will continue in the future and chose to visit the agricultural enterprise Komaysky. The head of state visited the dairy farm for 730 cattle, examined the grain-drying facility, saw the harvesting of cereals in the field. After asking which the best performing agricultural enterprise in Postavy District was, Alexander Lukashenko decided to visit OAO Khotily-Agro. It specializes in meat and dairy cattle farming and boasts well-developed cereals seed production. In January-May 2011 the enterprise earned Br1.6 billion in net profit, with profitability of sales at 21.3%. Alexander Lukashenko visited the company’s dairy farm and got familiar with the initial phase of the cereals harvesting campaign.

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