Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko called for change in land reclamation tactics during his working trip to Krasnopolye District, Mogilev Oblast, on 14 April, BelTA has learned.
The head of state raised the issue of waterlogged areas – sections of fields where water stagnates, leading to the death of crops. As a rule, this happens in spring when snow melts or after heavy rains. The appearance of such waterlogged areas is partly linked to low farming standards, which Aleksandr Lukashenko pointed out.
“People used to cultivate the land, and everything was fine. Then they abandoned those small plots, left the waterlogged areas untreated – and now the scrub is taking over. You fly over the region and see that where we once harvested grain, those wet spots are covered in scrub. This isn’t right, so we need to change our reclamation tactics now,” he stressed.
In this regard, the head of state noted the need to focus on land clearance operations. This refers to a set of land reclamation measures aimed at preparing the land surface for agricultural use. This means clearing away trees, bushes, hummocks and stones, levelling the ground, and carrying out primary tillage.
“We need to focus on land clearance now. We reclaim swamps – we dig and excavate. But draining a swamp is not so easy. Then our district executive committee chairmen and farm managers show up – they have no clue that this field needs care, that a lot of money has been put into it,” the Belarusian leader stated. “I fly over and see that scrub is starting to grow again on reclaimed land. So, we need to change our approach. Let reclamation continue, but we need to clear away this scrub. It is cheaper, and the shapes of fields will improve.”
The president gave a simple example of how entire hectares of land suitable for agriculture are lost due to mismanagement and low farming standards. “Next to a forest, you miss a spot while ploughing just once – and trees start growing. A branch grows out and moves into the field,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said. “The tractor driver drives around it, then they pull back a bit more, leave something – and that’s how the field shapes get smaller and we lose hectares. Everything gets taken over by scrub.”
The Belarusian leader stressed that a cost-effective approach must be applied not only in agriculture. As an example, Aleksandr Lukashenko cited the Paluzh fish farm, which he visited during his working trip to Krasnopolye District. It was reported that Belarus needs 15 such enterprises to provide itself with fish. The head of state stressed that their construction must be approached reasonably and in a cost-effective manner.
“We need to be cost-effective. If we need 15, then we need to put down 15 and spread them out over the years. Five in one year, ten in another. But if we just write it down in vague terms, they will do nothing at all. They will simply argue about different options without taking concrete action,” the president concluded.
