MINSK DISTRICT, 1 August (BelTA) – For Belarus it is cheaper to develop domestic agriculture than import food, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko told the media during his visit to the 1st Minsk Poultry Factory on 1 August, BelTA informs.
According to the head of state, one agrarian gives work to seven or eight more people. Harvesting grain is not enough to get fresh bread or quality fodder. “If we stop farming, half of the country will go unemployed,” Alexander Lukashenko said. In his words, the Belarusian industry depends heavily on agriculture. The country produces ploughs and harvesters.
“We have already seen for ourselves that it is cheaper for us to develop domestic agriculture than import milk and meat,” the president said.
The Belarusian leader cited Russia as an example. The neighboring country has started to develop agriculture very actively despite the availability of huge resources the country can use to import necessary products. The head of state took note of the importance of the notion “food security”. “When you do not produce something on your own and have it delivered by others, they can twist your arms at any moment. And you can say goodbye to your independence, sovereignty,” Alexander Lukashenko noted.
On the other hand, the president added, there is a question as to whether Belarus needs to considerably increase agricultural output. “We will not force our way ahead because it will be hard to find more sales markets. You see that we have been working hard to branch out into the Chinese market, diversify food exports in order not to depend on the Russian market. We go to every region to sell what we produce with excess today,” the Belarusian leader stated.
However, in the long term the demand for food will be twice as high in the world, the head of state said. “Africa is rising. China will consume a lot. As soon as we see the demand is rising, we will start to produce more,” said Alexander Lukashenko.
