Minister: Belarus ensures its food security, becomes large agricultural exporter

Belarus has ensured its food security and has become a large player in the export of agricultural products, Belarusian Agriculture and Food Minister Igor Brylo said in an interview to ONT TV channel on 12 June, BelTA has learned.

“We have implemented five government programs in the agricultural sector. Each had its own distinctive feature. We reconstructed our dairy farms and processing enterprises and cleaned up our villages. The head of state set a task to feed the people. We remember well the empty store shelves in the 1990s. In a fairly short period of time the country has managed not only to ensure its food security but also become a big agricultural exporter,” said Igor Brylo.

Belarusian farmers are planning to harvest about 9 million tonnes of grain, 760,000 tonnes of colza, 5 million tonnes of sugar beets and a number of other crops this year. “Of course, these are quite ambitious and challenging tasks but they are achievable,” said the minister.

According to him, Belarus does not export grain, it is used for other purposes. “We have to provide the domestic market with bread, flour, pasta and a number of other commodity items. Belarus also develops livestock breeding, and it needs to be provided with fodder for the final product with more added value,” the agriculture and food minister explained.

“According to all international sources, the problem of hunger will be an urgent one across the globe in the near future. The world's population is growing, and shortages of both dairy and meat products are predicted. As for Ukraine, they should think about their problems. Taking into account the deficit of grain, which is expected in the country, it probably would not be right to export it,” Igor Brylo said.