MINSK, 9 March (BelTA) – State forestry enterprises should embrace zero-waste manufacturing practices. Belarusian Forestry Minister Vitaly Drozhzha made the relevant statement during an expanded-participation session of the board of the Gomel Oblast association of state forestry enterprises, the press service of the Belarusian Forestry Ministry told BelTA.
According to Vitaly Drozhzha, in view of the rapid development of the woodworking industry in the country attention has been drawn to the resources, which were left unused in the past. “We are no longer a raw materials country but a processing country. It is the result of the huge work that has been going on in Belarus for the last few years. The increased demand for timber has inflated the prices: our prices are now on par with those in Poland and the Baltic states. It increases the responsibility of forestry enterprises as sellers. We have to precisely track the execution of contracts and properly honor our commitments in supplying the resources,” the official noted.
Vitaly Drozhzha went on saying that remodeling the operation of manufacturing branches of state forestry enterprises is one of the key tasks. “Our supply of raw materials is becoming more narrow. Today we need to understand what resources will be available for processing tomorrow. Our job is to ensure the employment of people in small towns and the countryside and to pay them good salaries. The earned money has to afford future investments in manufacturing as well,” the forestry minister stressed.
Vitaly Drozhzha also emphasized that responsibility for all the work in Belarusian forests starting with the creation of forest plantations and ending with timber harvesting lies primarily with forest wardens.
