Lukašenka: we can boost agriculture as Russians are now happy to buy everything

March 18, BPN. Domestic agriculture has a chance to reach a new level because of sanctions against Belarus and Russia, said Aliaksandr Lukašenka during his visit to the Viciebsk region on March 18, according to his press office.

At a dairy processing plant in Hlybokaje, he asked executives questions about raw materials processing. In particular, he said that whey had been disposed of instead of being processed: “It shouldn’t be like that. We have to process everything. Especially now, when demand for food is growing very fast. Now we have a chance to boost our agricultural production. The Russians are now happy to buy all products.”

Lukašenka noted that the region’s agricultural sector was still falling short of its targets despite the favorable conditions created by the state.

“Two years ago, I supported a project to create seven integration structures in the Viciebsk region,” Lukašenka was quoted as saying by the press office. “You swore to me and the whole country that it was the only way achieve good results. With that in mind, today it’s time to consider the efficiency of the agro-industrial enterprises in our region.”

Lukašenka pointed out that farms have not been meeting targets, citing reports from government, regulatory and supervisory authorities. About a half of them are operating at a loss, have outstanding debts and wage arrears to employees, while middlemen and schemes of multi-year advances from processors in favor of inefficient farms keep flourishing. He also noted a high staff turnover rates in the region’s agricultural sector. According to him, half of the managers have less than three years of work experience.