Opinions & Interviews

Lukashenko: Country's growth depends on agriculture

SHKLOV, 9 August (BelTA) — The development of rural areas is the basis for country's growth, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said at a meeting in Shklov on 9 August, BelTA has learned.

"There will be no country's growth without the development of rural areas. Neither Belarus nor Russia nor Ukraine will grow. We are Slavic people. The spirit of unity is rooted in our mentality. This is why agriculture is the basis," the Belarusian leader said.

The president urged to take the next step in the development of agricultural production.

"Firstly, because there is no country without agriculture. Secondly, the demand for food products is constantly increasing and will continue to increase. Unfortunately, there is no extra land in the world," Aleksandr Lukashenko explained.

He mentioned attempts to grow agricultural products even in deserts, but noted that it costs a lot of money. "That's why we need to intensify agriculture. The demand for food products will grow because the world's population is growing at a frantic pace. It's a simple pattern. We cannot fall behind," the president said.

Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized that agriculture makes a substantial contribution to the GDP and plays a favorable role in the country's image. One individual employed in agriculture provides work for 7-10 people in a city.

"We can name many reasons that push us to develop agricultural production. The fact that we are good at it is quite important. We have the necessary background because we have not destroyed the foundation that was created in the Soviet Union for the development of agricultural production, which in turn keeps a large part of the manufacturing sector busy. The production of agricultural machines is half of our manufacturing sector. It is a great thing," the Belarusian leader pointed out.

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