Today, food security was the top agenda issue of the meeting at the Palace of Independence. The sowing campaign is of particular importance this year - it is more important than ever in the present circumstances.
The government discussed the readiness and terms of carrying out field work and painful points of the agrarians in various areas. The President urged to promptly address all the issues relating to the provision of farms with the necessary supplies and to strictly observe the sowing technology.
Food prices are breaking records all over the world. And Belarusian-made products will be in demand. The President is convinced of that. Our agro-industrial complex can reach new export heights. In short, Belarus may nor fear the empty shelves. Some Internet speculations about shortage of salt, sugar or other products are just fakes without any real grounds.
President: Grain today is practically the new gold or oil.
Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus:
Grain today is practically the new gold or oil. It may even be more expensive. And since one of the world's major suppliers, Ukraine, is unlikely to carry out a full-fledged sowing campaign, prices will continue to rise. The UN is already planning a famine in the world's poorest countries.
Our own food security is now the top priority. We must provide everything the Belarusian people need. As always, we will provide our own people with domestic products. And most importantly, we must create stabilization funds.
The principles of the Belarusian food security proved efficient in 2010. Even then, there was enough bread, milk and meat! And today we have even more. In numbers, the level of self-sufficiency is 256%. Simply put, about 60% of the total volume of dairy products can safely be sold without detriment to the consumer. Last year it allowed the agro-industrial complex to earn nearly $7 billion. But Alexander Lukashenko is sure it is a record, but not the limit.
Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus:
This is a very good moment for agricultural production to improve its financial situation through increasing the volume of products. The task for this year is to produce about 9 million tons of grain (the government should write down 9 million tons of grain and stop beating about it), 700 thousand tons of rape (if you produce more, you will get even bigger economic effect) and 5 million tons of sugar beets. I pay special attention to this. Sugar beet is a strategic commodity like bread and salt. There is a war for sugar. Fortunately, only in the stores.
The President called to double the rate of sowing and to hold it in a short period of time.
Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus:
We have to do everything that can be done now and everything that is impossible in order "to put the grain to the soil”, as people say. There is not enough moisture, so the pace of sowing should be doubled. Ten days and that's all.












