Belarus President suggests buying more grain from farmers

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has suggested increasing grain purchases from farmers by 500,000 tonnes. At today’s video teleconference highlighting this year’s harvesting campaign Alexander Lukashenko noted, the government should consider the possibility of having more reserves in case peasants want to sell more grain, for example, 0.5 million tonnes more. According to the President, it would be a profitable investment as grain is likely to get more expensive in view of the present deficit. “It definitely won’t go to waste. If worst comes to worst, we will sell it if we don’t need it. The price will be much higher,” Alexander Lukashenko is convinced. Belarusians should have no problems with selling products the country needs on the home market. “It is a crime when rural Belarusians can and are eager to make money, are ready to sell excessive amounts of their products, to sell mushrooms and berries collected in the forest while we cannot buy them, not at all to a loss of Belkoopsoyuz [the Belarusian Union of Consumer Cooperative Societies],” said the President. “In its time Belkoopsoyuz received much support, it is time to return the favour”. Belkoopsoyuz will buy the entire excessive stock of agricultural products people would like to sell, said Belkoopsoyuz Chairman of the Board Vladimir Kuleshov. He noted, they are using 8,600 trade companies, 900 procurement stations, 630 vehicles and recruited 3,300 seasonal workers in order to procure the products. Facilities have been prepared to process and store the products between seasons. Thirty-two refrigerating chambers with the storage capacity of 1,000 tonnes have been upgraded to increase the capacity for freezing and storing wild berries. Contracts with processing companies of other government agencies have been signed. According to the official, problems with timely financing payments to individuals have been solved. Br34 billion in loan resources allocated to consumer cooperative companies in line with a presidential decree will be spent on the designated purpose.