August 28, Pozirk. Alaksandar Łukašenka has directed the Mak.by fast-food chain, which replaced McDonald’s in Belarus two years ago, to use only domestically grown potatoes, Pul Pervogo, his press office’s unofficial Telegram channel reports.
“Starting October 1, Mak.by must not use any imported potatoes or cutlets. Everything on the menu should be Belarusian. Why are you feeding people this American junk?” he said while visiting the Mahiloŭ region’s Kiraŭsk district.
Łukašenka was confident that this year’s potato harvest would be “sufficient,” pointing to an expansion in cultivated areas. He emphasized that Belarusian potatoes would be in high demand abroad, especially in Russia.
He also called on potato suppliers to “establish clear links with retail chains to ensure that potatoes are delivered to stores on time and that the situation that occurred this spring does not repeat itself,” in a reference to potato shortages earlier this year.
In 2024, Belarus’ potato harvest was 22.5 percent lower than in 2023.
