Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 4 September (BelTA) - Belarus plans to crop nearly 10 million tonnes of grain in 2017, Belarus’ Agriculture and Food Minister Leonid Zayats said in an interview to the ONT TV channel, BelTA has learned.

“It will be some 10 million tonnes of bread,” Leonid Zayats said about the 2017 harvest. The minister added that it was a difficult year for the agrarians and there was no confidence in such results.

According to the minister, about 250,000 tonnes of grain are still in the fields and some 170,000 tonnes are uncropped in the farms. “There is also a good harvest at private farm holdings. As a result, grain and leguminous crops in all the categories of farms will make up 8.15 million tonnes. We will additionally produce 730,000 tonnes of coleseed oil and 17,000 tonnes of colza,” Leonid Zayats said. There will be a good harvest of maize as well, he added.

The agriculture and food minister stressed that the country is currently harvesting potatoes. About 4% has been cropped so far. “The harvest is 311 centners per hectare, 23 centners up from 2016. This will allow forming good potato reserves to meet the domestic needs and ensure the export potential of at least 300,000 tonnes,” he explained.