Lukashenko wants high cow welfare standards in Belarus

Aleksandr Lukashenko recalled that he had suggested building a monument to a cow to show appreciation for the role it plays in the lives of people; it was especially the case during the Great Patriotic War. “When people went into the forests, they took cattle with them to survive. The cow still feeds people. It is not only about milk, but also meat. If we want to be healthy, we should breathe clean air and eat normal products; thus the cow, figuratively speaking, deserves living in a palace,” the head of state said.

The president noted that in recent years Belarus has come up with an optimal animal husbandry strategy. In line with this strategy, livestock farms should be transformed into livestock dairy complexes, where the technology is observed throughout the entire production chain.

"You, journalists, will be given a brief one-hour lesson on the technology that we use and on the kind of ‘palaces’ where cows should be kept,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said explaining the idea behind the meeting.

This off-site seminar is taking place in the run-up to two major meetings to discuss the health of calves and the performance of the agricultural complex of Vitebsk Oblast that is facing many challenges now.

The president emphasized that production of high-quality milk is very profitable. It can be used to make a broad assortment of products that are in high demand abroad.

“Today you have everything you need for production and processing. Jokes aside, I repeat once again: if you don't want to sit in the trenches, get covered with mud and be eaten by lice, let's work in earnest,” the head of state emphasized.

“Compliance with technology and military-style discipline. You were given a free hand. If we don't want war, we should work in the right way. We should produce and sell. We should work in good faith,” the head of state said.

Speaking about the seminar-meeting, Aleksandr Lukashenko said that he asked Prime Minister Aleksandr Turchin, who was the Minsk Oblast governor before, and other specialists to determine an advanced agricultural complex whose agricultural practices can be scaled nationally. The technology used by the Selishche 2 dairy complex of the Dzerzhinsky agricultural company is not just advanced, but cutting-edge. “This is the next century,” the president remarked. Everything here has been done in a very cost-effective way. Many construction works were performed by the company itself. “Is it that hard? If you are a good manager, you simply must have your own construction team,” the Belarusian leader noted.

Other organizations should follow suit. In general, there are no more than a third of struggling agricultural enterprises in the country. The performance of the rest is either satisfactory or very good.

“We need to scale up [the experience of advanced farms], modernize some old farms, turn them into dairy complexes. We need modern cattle maintenance technologies, and sell premium-quality milk. This yields good money today as milk production is a lucrative business these days,” the Belarusian leader said as he was setting tasks.

He drew attention to wars and conflicts taking place in the world. Belarus is not a war profiteer, but food will always be in demand in the world even in peaceful times, the president is sure: “In the times of peace people also need to eat. This means that the demand for food and clothing will only increase (and clothing is also made from agricultural raw materials). Therefore, we must definitely follow this path - create dairy complexes and solve these problems.”

Aleksandr Lukashenko drew special attention to the conditions of keeping cattle, especially young animals. He urged to prevent cattle deaths, which is still a problem at many farms. To prevent death losses, not only good facilities are needed, but also high-quality feed. “No calves - no milk, no meat,” the Belarusian leader said.

The head of state recalled two of his earlier instructions - to make domestic haylage presses and robotic milking systems that would be just as good as foreign ones.

“A press must be made. This is a critical matter,” the head of state emphasized. He underscored that the equipment quality determines the feed quality, and this is important for livestock health.

Aleksandr Lukashenko views robotic milking systems as a very necessary thing given the shortage of personnel in rural areas. But this is also a matter of production efficiency.

The participants of the seminar-meeting include the governors and their first deputies, authorized representatives of the head of state in the regions, presidential aides - inspectors in the regions.

A similar off-site seminar on agriculture was held in February of this year. Back then the head of state inspected the Shipyany ASK agricultural enterprise in Smolevichi District, Minsk Oblast. That seminar focused on various practical aspects of cattle feeding and keeping in the winter-stall period, preparation of agricultural machinery for spring field works, new varieties of agricultural crops and their cultivation rules.