Lukashenko sets goal for 10m-tonne grain harvest in Belarus

The task is to reach a gross grain harvest of 9-10 million tonnes in the near term, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said during a working visit to Mogilev Oblast on 20 June, BelTA has learned. Upon arrival at the field with different varieties of winter barley sown as an experiment, the head of state stressed that today is a historic and crucial moment in agriculture. The president said that he grew up in these places at the junction of Mogilev Oblast and Vitebsk Oblast and here he is trying out various new approaches to agriculture. “This is how the president's field took shape. Today is a historic moment. If anyone thinks that we have met here to talk and show off once again, the experts will see that this is not the case,” he said. According to Aleksandr Lukashenko, Belarus is in the area of risk farming. One of the problems in agriculture is a short vegetation period of plants. There is a short period from sowing to harvesting. The country needs to cultivate the crops that are suitable for these conditions. “We need to reach 9-10 million tonnes of grain without including colza,” he set the task.

The matter of getting enough high-quality grains is of particular relevance for Vitebsk Oblast and some other areas of the country – the north of Mogilev, Minsk and Grodno oblasts. “As for Vitebsk we have been talking about changing crop rotation for years, but not a single head of Vitebsk Oblast has ever solved this problem. Cultivation of grassy fodder is not enough. We need concentrates, mixed fodder. We need grain for this. What do we need to cultivate?” the Belarusian leader asked. The president recalled his last year's task to winter barley cultivation. It is harvested before the other crops. This enables to