Lukashenko sets goal of producing 11 million tonnes of grain annually in Belarus

MINSK. March 5 (Interfax) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has tasked the new government with ensuring annual grain production of 11 million tonnes in the country during a meeting in Minsk.

"We must produce 11 million tonnes of grain every year. Obtain 11 million tonnes and put it there," Lukashenko's press service quoted him as saying.

The president clarified that by grain crops, he meant cereals, legumes, rapeseed, corn "and so on."

The government is also tasked with producing more than 9 million tonnes of milk and over 2 million tonnes of meat this year, as well as ensuring the preservation and sale of these products.

Food exports should reach $9 billion by the end of this year, Lukashenko said. "I am not asking for more," he said, noting that Belarus has already achieved this figure and must maintain its position.

The state has done a lot for the agricultural sector, creating conditions for increasing production, which must now be expanded at a fairly rapid pace, Lukashenko said. "The task is quite demanding, considering the current significant level of agricultural production," he said.

As previously reported, agricultural production in Belarus across all categories of farms increased 3.4% in comparable prices in 2024 compared to the previous year. The total harvest of cereals and legumes amounted to 8.3 million tonnes, up 8.8%, while rapeseed production reached 1 million tonnes, up 15.8%. Milk production rose 5% to 8.75 million tonnes.