By Svetlana Lukyianiuk: Today, more than 85% of flax has been harvested in Belarus. That is 5.5 thousand tons of seeds. Flax factories are already working with this year's harvest.
At the end of the 1980s, every 10th ton of flax fiber was grown on the Belarusian soil. Today, this country is in the top five world leaders in the production of this unique raw material. As agrarians say, flax is one of the most capricious cultures, but that's why it is so valuable. A lot depends on weather, the quality of soil and good fertilizers.
Yesterday, the Belarusian President visited an experimental site called Ustie. Here, scientists focus only on growing flax.
In fact, this field is an exemplary one, and specialists fr om all over the country come here to study. Question No.1 from the President was about the real problems in the industry and how to cultivate flax more efficiently so that it will bring profit to the country.
Nowadays, when priorities are given to eco-materials, this natural fiber is in great demand. The sales profitability of the "northern silk" can reach 70%. But it is difficult to get the profits, since all the industry needs to work well. The President's order is to solve the issue with the equipment. 40 machines are not enough to harvest everything, and an investment of 10 million dollars is much needed. The President also proposed to identify 5-6 places in the country wh ere breeding centers will be established.
This year in Minsk Region, they expect to increase the harvest by a third. For example, Slutsk Flax Mill is the largest in the region in terms of processing volumes. It has been modernized. The new Belgian line has increased its capacities almost threefold.
At the end of the visit, following a good tradition, all the participants of the working trip, together with journalists, jointly gathered a symbolic sheaf of flax. For centuries, this was the traditional conclusion to harvesting flax in Belarus.
