TOLOCHIN REGION, 20 August (BelTA) – During his working trip to the Vitebsk oblast President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko urged to ensure maximum quality during the grain harvest campaign, BelTA has learnt. The head of state stressed: “Quality should be a top-priority. We cannot rush with harvesting. Even if there are problems we will not rush. Quality is the main thing we should focus on”. “It would be good if we crop 1.5 million grain more,” the President said. The country has so far harvested nearly 7.5 million tonnes of grain. The head of state urged to secure the harvest of nine million tonnes of grain. “We can do it,” he said. According to Alexander Lukashenko, the harvest could be better if it was not for hot weather in the beginning of the summer and heavy showers in the middle of it. The President underscored that grain crops cannot stay in the fields for too long, especially in the northern regions of the country. The head of state placed a particular emphasis on qualitative harvesting of maize for grain and seeds. As for the specifics of farming in the Vitebsk oblast, the President commissioned the governor to outline an optimal structure of areas for different crops. In particular, the region can grow more crops with a short vegetation period. Alexander Lukashenko urged to optimize the livestock industry. As there is a necessary amount of agricultural lands and pastures, the region could prioritize cattle breeding over hog and poultry farming.

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