ORSHA DISTRICT, 21 April (BelTA) – Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko, while on a working trip to Orsha District and visiting the agro-town of Kopys, unexpectedly added new objects to his itinerary. The head of state decided to visit the Milkkop Start cheese-producing facility, BelTA learned.
Immediately upon arrival at the first facility - a woodworking shop of the Orsha forestry - the president reminded the officials of his earlier requirement to keep an eye on the private cheese production enterprise located just across the street and on the bakery established on the instructions of the head of state. “We'll go in and take a look,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said and kept his promise.
After touring the woodworking shop, the president went to see the Milkkop Start cheese-producing facility in Kopys. The cheese manufacture was revived here on the instructions of the president. Aleksandr Lukashenko took a walk around the shops and talked to the personnel about the production process. In particular, the head of state asked about the volumes of milk processed at the moment and the overall potential. The specialists explained that currently they process about 60 tonnes of milk per shift, but if they work at full capacity using the existing equipment, they could process 100 tonnes.
“Does that mean you are operating at half capacity?” Aleksandr Lukashenko asked. According to Chairman of the Vitebsk Oblast Executive Committee Aleksandr Subbotin, there is a problem with treatment facilities at the enterprise. Their construction, according to the project, requires considerable time. The president demanded that the problem be solved in a year and everything be done according to the technology. The head of state instructed the State Control Committee to look into the funds that were invested in this enterprise by the investor.
“We need to sort things out. If he [the investor] works well and is ready to develop the manufacture then he is welcome to build treatment facilities and go ahead. If not, then another person, another investor should do it. Sort things out,” the head of state set the task.
As the president walked through the various shops and premises of the enterprise, he clarified their purpose, because some of them are still in the process of construction, some are not being used for their intended purpose, some equipment remains unused. Aleksandr Lukashenko was unhappy with what he saw, noting that the heads of the local administration are not sufficiently involved in the situation at the facility.
As a result, the head of state instructed that a detailed inspection of the cheese production enterprise should be undertaken by specialists, including sanitary and epidemiological services.
The head of state also dropped by to see a local bakery.
Aleksandr Lukashenko instructed to expand the production because there is a great demand for baked goods in Kopys. It is important to scale up this experience across the country. Small towns should have their own bakeries.
The head of state instructed the government officials to take control over the Kopys bakery development, help it build additional space and ramp up its capacity: “In a year from now the bakery should produce as much baked goods as needed. Why? Because I want to see how things go. Small towns need to have bread produced locally [not bought from other places]”.
“The same applies to Orsha. Such small bakeries should provided with everything necessary. It is important that we scale up this experience all over the country: small communities, agro-towns,” Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized.
