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Belarusian farmers urged to diversify, to consider sheep breeding

MINSK, 11 June (BelTA) – Belarusian farming companies need to diversify, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he made new appointments on 11 June, BelTA has learned.

The president said that he had given instructions to look for new farming ideas, new commercially successful products. In his opinion, sheep breeding is a promising industry for Belarus. The head of state added that there used to be many sheep breeding farms in Belarus.

“The government sets plans to ramp up the country’s sheep breeding sector by 33% by 2025. Sheep breeding means wool, sheepskin, mutton. All are in demand on the market. The only problem here is very slow growth targets. What does a 33% increase by 2025 mean? Today we have one sheep. Tomorrow it will be one and three tenths of a sheep,” the president said.

The head of state stressed that there is a need to take the sector seriously. It has a good future. “We have a lot of idle land, even in Mogilev Oblast. The Pripyat and Neman basins are free. It is pity that those lands are wasted. It is possible to build light sheds to keep sheep next to the basins. I have some 50 sheep myself. The costs are low. It takes me just half an hour in the morning to cut some grass for them and that is enough. Use pastures or let them graze in forests during a heat wave,” the president said.

Aleksandr Lukashenko added that sheep wool can be supplied to the Minsk worsted fabric factory. Many producers need sheep skin. “We can process any product, have a well-developed light industry. What are we waiting for? Are we waiting for the president to give instructions? Look for new ways, new products,” he added.

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