Instead of complaining about the weather it is necessary to work hard in the fields.
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Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko gave the relevant instruction during a conference call held on 21 July to discuss the harvesting campaign, BelTA has learned.
During the conference call the oblast governors presented reports on the situation in their regions. The head of state gave clear instructions to focus primarily on problems without self-evaluation.
Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed: “I’d like to warn the speakers: we are fed up with projections. There is no need to talk about it today. Give me facts. What are your problems, shortcomings? Openly and honestly. Thousands of people can hear you.â€
The Minsk Oblast governor noted that the situation in the central region is complicated but it is not catastrophic.
“We don’t have problems unrelated to peculiar weather and climate conditions. Rains have started and today we see how our corn matures. This is why we have no issues that need to be addressed at the level of the head of state,†Aleksandr Turchin said.
Yet the chairman of the Minsk Oblast Executive Committee asked for the president’s assistance with one thing. By 1 August Minsk Oblast agricultural enterprises are supposed to pay off the loans they took out last year to pay for fuel. “Taking into account the circumstances it will be extremely difficult to do. We ask for postponing the deadline at least a bit. But Minsk Oblast has honored all the other commitments to repay state budget loans and the rest however difficult it may have been,†the governor said.
Aleksandr Turchin said: “Thank you very much for support.â€
The president said: “But wait. I didn’t say what decision will be made. A decision will be made. But you are quite a good economist. You know that debts must be paid. If someone doesn’t pay up, then there will be problems after some time. But taking into account all the circumstances you and the government will sort it out and will submit proposals to me next week at the latest.â€
Speaking about weather conditions, Aleksandr Lukashenko pointed out that the situation varies from region to region: soils have been affected more in some regions and less in other ones.
According to Chairman of the Grodno Oblast Executive Committee Vladimir Karanik, there are no special problems in this region either: the machines and vehicles have been repaired, workforce is available, sources of funding have been determined.
In Brest Oblast the situation is slightly better than the country’s average. According to the oblast governor, as much as 12% of the area under crops has been harvested, with the average yield at 41 centners per hectare, which is on par with last year’s figure.
Rapeseed’s yield is slightly above last year’s: 30 centners per hectare, up from 24 centners per hectare in 2022.
“We intend to gather in 1.250 million tonnes without buckwheat, corn, and millet. The figure corresponds to Brest Oblast’s average,†the governor Yuri Shuleiko said.
Chairman of the Mogilev Oblast Executive Committee Anatoly Isachenko said that Mogilev Oblast is supposed to gather in 322,000ha of cereals and leguminous crops. The figure does not include grain maize, buckwheat, and millet. ■