News & Events in Belarus

SHKLOV DISTRICT, 18 August (BelTA) – Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko inspected the progress in the harvest campaign in Belarus, saw modern agricultural vehicles, and took a ride in a grain harvester when visiting farms in Shklov District and Orsha District on 18 August, BelTA informs.

The head of state drove a four-wheeler to the grain field of OAO Alexandriyskoye. He said that he decided to visit that place for a reason. “I will work today. This is the field of the president as someone said some time ago. This is my field indeed as I used to work here (from a young age. – BelTA’s note),” Alexander Lukashenko explained.

The president heard out the reports on the progress in the harvest campaign in the country, and talked to specialists to discuss the specifics of using different varieties of Belarusian and foreign-bred grain.

They also spoke about the high-quality Belarusian grain harvesters. In due time the president gave an instruction to develop the manufacture of grain harvesting equipment in Belarus. For the past two decades, Gomselmash has designed and launched the production of seven basic models of grain harvesters and 38 modifications.

The KZS-1624-1 harvester, a flagship Palesse model, was demonstrated to the president. The head of state was briefed on the technical characteristics of this model and the experience of using it. Alexander Lukashenko instructed designers to modernize this harvester by the next harvest campaign, eliminate all drawbacks, design and produce a better harvester which will be in demand in the future.

Then the head of state wanted to see the harvester in operation. One of the local workers took the driver’s seat, the president’s younger son Nikolai sat beside him, and Alexander Lukashenko stood on the platform near the cabin to take a look at the process of work.

“I want to see this harvester in operation because our manufacturers often boast that we have as good harvesters as foreign ones. Let’s see it in operation right now and let’s show it to people,” the head of state said.

He also pointed out a big role of harvester operators. Good drivers will get better results and keep the equipment well-maintained. “We must prove that this harvester can be as efficient as foreign ones. A lot depends on a machinery operator here,” the president said.

The grain yield on this field reached 91 centners per hectare this year. The head of state said that when he was young this field yielded as little as 13-17 centners per hectare. This shows that with high-quality seeds, appropriate cultivation techniques and technologies any soil can yield good harvests.