Republic
21.12.2007
Additional measures aimed at developing the national flax industry will be discussed at a government session chaired by the President of Belarus. The press service of the head of state told BelTA, Alexander Lukashenko had given an instruction to prepare a session to analyse flax cultivation and flax fibre processing in Belarus in order to work out the necessary measures to improve the state of things in this area.
Certain issues regarding the development of the country’s agribusiness were discussed during a working meeting of the President and Deputy Prime Minister Ivan Bambiza on December 21. In particular, the state of affairs in the flax industry and prospects of the industry’s development were discussed.
There are 49 flax treating plants in Belarus as well as 305 agricultural companies cultivating flax. All in all, some 12,000 people work in the industry, including around 6,000 people employed by Orsha Flax Factory.
The head of state was informed about the fulfilment of instructions regarding the production of flax straw, processing of flax fibre and the state of affairs at Orsha Flax Factory.
The development of flax production is a promising avenue of agriculture. Year after year the demand for natural fibres grows on the international market. Over the last five years the consumption of chemical fibres swelled by 18%, consumption of silk and cotton — 10%, while the consumption of flax fibre soared by 55%. However, the Belarusian flax industry is in a complicated situation, which needs state support for effective resolution.
Flax yield is supposed to make at least 8-9 centners per hectare to secure the industry’s economically effective development. The figure now stands at 6-7 centners per hectare.
Agricultural companies should be refitted in order to enable quality flax production. Despite the government attention to this industry so far Belarus has no modern homemade flax sowing machines, with the production of Belarus-made self-propelled flax harvesters launched only recently.