Aleksandr Lukashenko
MINSK, 17 June (BelTA) - Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko once again raised the issue of potato availability in retail trade during an off-site meeting on agriculture on 17 June. The head of state directly responded to those who are overreacting to the situation by emphasizing the need to instill a work ethic in the youth, BelTA has learned.
“If you think that our youth, who are following us, will work like the previous generations, you are mistaken or simply deceive yourselves. They won’t. This is a different kind of youth. They thought that potatoes grow on the internet. It turned out that potatoes don’t grow on the internet but in the field,” the head of state said. “We see complaints coming from people who have their own summer cottages. Why are you complaining? Why are you whining? We have enough seeds. Plant two furrows and grow two bags of potatoes for yourselves. Plant potatoes on that little piece of land or in villages. They don’t cultivate their plots in villages,” he added.
The head of state asked Deputy Head of the Belarus President Administration Nikolai Sherstnev if he planted potatoes at his summer cottage. “I plant them every year,” the official replied.
“He, a high-ranking official, cultivate potatoes, has no problem with this. What about an ordinary person with small children? I don’t need potatoes. I will always find a bag and a half of potatoes. I have two land plots. If you want to take a look, you are welcome, anytime. Yesterday, I checked both the plots, and the potatoes are impressive. The Academy of Sciences gave me the seeds to test. I am capable of providing everyone standing here with potatoes,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
“So why are we not doing this? Why do we keep complaining that we lack something? I might be thinking like a retrograde and a conservative, but this is the simple truth: in order to have something, one needs to work hard. If we don't work, we will have hard times. Our youth is not used to this. If you think that we can teach them by talking, that is wrong,” the president said.
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