More attention should be paid to the development of citizens' personal subsidiary farms - A.Lukashenko

May 18, Minsk / Tatyana Polezhay - BELTA /. The President of Belarus considers it necessary to pay more attention to the development of personal subsidiary plots of citizens. Alexander Lukashenko stated this today at a meeting dedicated to considering this issue, as reported by a BELTA correspondent. The head of state drew attention to the relevance of the problem and its significant economic, socio-political importance. At least a third of the country's population is engaged in personal subsidiary farming to some extent, including residents not only of villages but also of workers' settlements, small towns, and suburbs of large centers. The President noted that they make a significant contribution to ensuring the country's food security. Using just over 11% of agricultural land, they produce about 30% of the gross agricultural output. Moreover, they not only provide themselves with environmentally friendly food products but also supply them to the market. It is important that the most labor-intensive crops are grown on these farms - potatoes (88% of the total harvest), vegetables (80%), fruits, and berries (over 90%). Alexander Lukashenko recalled that subsidiary plots contribute to increasing the real incomes and well-being of villagers, providing them with a significant addition to their family budget. In addition, according to the President, such farms also perform an important educational function. "Life shows that where children are involved in labor, animal care, and gardening from childhood, there are fewer problems with alcoholism and other negative phenomena," he said. The head of state noted that when visiting regions, he often inquires about the situation in this area, how local authorities care for people, and always urges them to help with harvesting, organizing product purchases, and allocating suitable land plots and pastures. In addition, this topic has been repeatedly discussed at republican meetings, specific instructions have been given to the government and governors, and a targeted program for the development of personal subsidiary plots of citizens for 2006-2010 has been developed. The time has come to summarize the implementation of this program and the fulfillment of previously given instructions. "However, it is evident that there is nothing to praise in this area. Over the past decade, production has been declining year after year, and the cattle population has sharply decreased. The number of subsidiary plots themselves is also decreasing. For example, compared to 2000, their number has decreased by 175 thousand, or by 14%. This trend is characteristic of all regions of the country," said the head of state. Alexander Lukashenko believes that one cannot fully agree with the position that the objective reasons for this decline are the reduction in the number of rural residents, the aging of peasants, and the unwillingness of young people to start a subsidiary farm. "The issue is not so much about objective reasons as it is about the indifferent, or rather, the negligent attitude, primarily on the part of local authorities, towards the concerns of people engaged in subsidiary farming," the President noted. "After all, look at how many complaints there are in the press and in government bodies that there are no opportunities to raise livestock - neither pastures, nor hayfields, nor normal organization for the purchase of milk and other products. People are ready to invest their labor, dedicate their time to useful work, but our disgraceful attitude harms both the rural workers themselves, their farms, and the state as a whole." There are farms and districts where leaders understand the importance of this issue and support people, but in most districts, concrete and effective measures are not taken in this area. "Practically everything has been left to chance, as if to say, if they survive, they survive, and if not, then not, we are not responsible for private individuals. This is unacceptable!" said Alexander Lukashenko. The President, addressing the participants of the meeting, framed this issue more broadly. In his opinion, it should be viewed as work with citizens' appeals. He added that in the near future, it will be considered in detail at an expanded meeting with the President, and preparations for it have already begun: monitoring of the situation has been organized in all regions to understand the real picture on the ground and take effective measures to solve existing problems. Alexander Lukashenko expects an objective assessment of the situation from the meeting participants and answers to the questions of whether subsidiary farms should continue to be developed, in what form they should exist, and what needs to be done for this. -0-