A. Lukashenka considers it necessary to identify reserves for improving the economic condition of agricultural enterprises

March 22, Minsk / Vladimir Matveev - BELTA /. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko believes it is necessary to identify additional reserves that need to be mobilized to improve the economic condition of the country's agricultural enterprises. The head of state announced this today during the government's report on the results of rural development in 2005-2010 and the tasks for implementing the state program for the development of rural territories for 2011-2015, a BELTA correspondent reports. As Alexander Lukashenko noted, strategically important issues of the country's agro-industrial complex development are to be considered. In particular, the government has submitted a new state program for the development of rural territories for 2011-2015 for approval. "This is the fourth agrarian program. It was preceded by three, the implementation of which allowed us not only to overcome a serious decline in the industry in the post-perestroika years but also to achieve its dynamic growth. Thanks to this, we have ensured food security for Belarus, thereby creating a solid foundation for the socio-political stability of our society," said the Belarusian leader. According to him, the current global food situation shows that the significance of the successful development of the agro-industrial complex is constantly increasing. Agricultural products are increasingly becoming a strategic resource in the global market. "And unlike natural resources, we can significantly increase this resource, deriving huge benefits for the country and the people, increasing food exports," the head of state believes. "If in the past unfavorable year, $3.3 billion was received from foreign supplies of our agricultural sector, then by 2015 it is necessary to reach the mark of more than $7 billion. The achievement of this will be facilitated by the growing global demand for food and our capabilities for more effective agricultural development. At the same time, food prices in the world tend to rise." This task should be fully accomplished by the new agrarian program. However, before proceeding to its detailed discussion, Alexander Lukashenko proposed analyzing the results of the implementation of what was planned for 2005-2010. The head of state emphasized the need to objectively assess successes and shortcomings in order to learn lessons for the future and prevent disruptions in development. In this regard, the President demanded from the speakers not a simple statement of facts, but an identification of the causes of negative phenomena, primarily such as the huge debt of agricultural organizations, low profitability of sales, and lagging behind forecast indicators in production growth rates and product range. "Why are new, more effective management mechanisms in the countryside being slowly introduced in the industry?" Alexander Lukashenko asked. In this regard, he considers it necessary to "determine what additional reserves need to be mobilized to improve the economic condition of agricultural enterprises." It is also necessary to determine how to increase the return on investment in crop and livestock production, and how to bring the work of the entire processing industry to the world level. "When discussing the new program, I would like to hear from the participants of the meeting an assessment of how it is aimed at intensifying the agro-industrial complex, ensuring the competitiveness of domestic products, reducing costs, and increasing labor productivity," the head of state noted. He also inquired about how regional specialization of production and meeting the demand of the entire population for a wide range of food products, including buckwheat, vegetables, fruits, and other food products, are taken into account. In addition, the President drew the attention of the event participants to the issue of how stable the financial support for the new program will be. The most important issue, the Belarusian leader is convinced, remains the formation of a personnel corps capable of solving agrarian problems at the level of modern requirements, and how to interest them in improving the economic results of production activities. It is also important to outline the prospects for the development of the social sphere of the countryside, and further plans for the improvement of agro-towns and villages. "No reports, no politics, no personal interests - only assessments: what has been done, what has not been done, and how we will act in this direction," Alexander Lukashenko emphasized, addressing the participants of the meeting. During the implementation of the state program for the revival and development of the village for 2005-2010, significant work has been done to develop the production sphere of the village and the social infrastructure of rural areas. In 2010 alone, Br9.1 trillion of investment in fixed assets was used for the development of agriculture, which is 2.6 times more than in 2005. As a result, over 2005-2010, its technical and technological base has been significantly updated: almost 1.5 thousand dairy farms have been reconstructed and built, and agricultural organizations have been supplied with the necessary modern equipment. The created network of 1481 agro-towns, evenly distributed throughout the country, has made it possible to provide social standards not only to the population living in them but also to residents of adjacent territories. Concentration of agricultural production has been ensured: the area of agricultural land per farm on average over 6 years has increased by 1.4 times and amounted to more than 5 thousand hectares. In total, Br128.2 trillion was allocated for the implementation of the program, which is almost a third more than the planned volume. The state program for 2011-2015 has been developed in order to create conditions for the priority socio-economic development of rural territories and increase the efficiency of the agro-industrial complex. It is comprehensive and includes 18 programs of various levels. In accordance with it, in 2015, the profit from the sale of goods, products, works, and services in agriculture should increase more than 9 times compared to the 2010 level and amount to more than Br3.5 trillion. The planned sales profitability is 10-11%. In general, the production growth rate in farms of all categories in 2011-2015 is planned at the volume of 139-145%. -0-