Working trip to Bereza District, Brest Oblast

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko made a working trip to Bereza District, Brest Oblast on 31 July.

In Bereza District, the Presidential helicopter landed at the machinery yard of one of the Savushkin Product production sites.

Upon arrival, the President immediately asked the Brest Oblast authorities about the progress of the harvest campaign: how many hectares had been harvested, which crops, and what the yields were. The head of state also inquired specifically about how yields differed across farms, including those of various forms of ownership. The discussion also touched on the activities of Savushkin Product. Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that such large dairy processors need to be more active in developing their raw material base and investing in agriculture.

"Aleksandr Mikhailovich [Moshensky, Director General of Santa Impex, the management company of the Santa Holding Company] must receive raw materials from his own enterprises. Naturally, he needs to invest there. We will help in this regard. But he must lead the way. This is where we need to get to," the President said, and instructed responsible officials to consider how this could be implemented in practice.

The President's first stop was a winter wheat field at Savushkin Luch. The President heard a report from Agriculture and Food Minister Yuri Gorlov on the progress of the harvest campaign, broken down by crop type and yield across the country's regions. According to the minister, farmers are closing in on 4 million tonnes of grain. Brest Oblast has already surpassed the million-tonne mark. To mark the occasion, a large traditional loaf was baked, which was presented to the head of state.

Aleksandr Lukashenko reminded that the benchmark for the effectiveness of agricultural work has been set at last year's indicators. This year's results will be measured against them. The President also asked separately about flax harvesting and feed preparation.

At the Savushkin Luch winter wheat field, where the President made his first stop, a prototype of a domestically produced combined round baler was on display.

The President noted that due to a shortage of such machinery, there are currently problems with the rapid clearing of fields for subsequent sowing. This is a bottleneck in agriculture. High-performance balers are needed to quickly remove straw from the fields and plow the soil.

Aleksandr Lukashenko said that while flying over the oblast, he noticed significant amounts of straw still lying in the fields that had not been removed. Although the overall pace of the harvest is not bad. "Straw is everywhere. In some places, they've rolled it into bales. Sometimes we simply don't have time to clear the straw. For Brest Oblast, this is uncharacteristic. But further north and east, it's a problem. We urgently need to clear the fields so they can be plowed. Rapeseed will need to be sown as early as tomorrow... We need to clear them quickly. We are falling behind," the head of state said. "The grain has been harvested. We need to roll and remove the straw immediately. The machinery must be in place."

"The harvesters will clear the fields quickly, but tomorrow the straw needs to be removed, and we can't do it. The issue is that we don't have the tools," the President explained, highlighting the urgency of developing domestically produced balers. "I can see that this is one of the bottlenecks."

The head of state emphasized that many agricultural processes require mechanization and robotization, pushing industry to invent and produce new machinery. One example is the automated milking system currently being developed by Belarusian specialists. Foreign models emerged in their time because of labor shortages, there weren't enough milkmaids on farms. Belarus may soon face the same problem, which is why the country is proactively working to automate processes. "We need a robot. We are building it. And if what they say is true, they will achieve something remarkable. It turned out to be a difficult task," the President noted, referring to Horizont Holding Company, which is working on the development.

According to feedback from responsible officials and specialists at the farms where the prototype was tested, the domestic baler matches its imported counterparts.

"What do you have to say about this wonder machine? Does it match the imported model?" Aleksandr Lukashenko asked and received an affirmative answer.

"We need a machine that is on par with the imported ones. I'm not asking for more than that," the President set the task. "But it must be a quality baler. Because if it's not high-quality... I've said it before. Don't make substandard products. Let it be more expensive, but the quality must be there, on the level of imported models."

Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Shuleiko assured: "It is an analogue of the best European baler." In his view, putting such machines into series production and widely using them on farms would free up a significant number of machine operators who currently do this work on less productive equipment, and therefore take longer. These specialists could then be redeployed for plowing fields.

"That's a good philosophy," the head of state said.

The baler was manufactured by Bobruiskagromash and is currently available as a single prototype undergoing trials in real field conditions. The machine is designed to operate in various conditions and is capable of baling both forage and industrial crops.

The prototype's performance was demonstrated to the President right in the field. Also shown were soil liming operations using locally made equipment - a Bruttus 12000 spreader and a BELARUS-5425 high-powered tractor, which the President once famously described as a "spaceship" in Belarusian tractor engineering.

The head of state was reported that the localization level of the first prototype baler exceeds 70%. For the second experimental model, it is already over 80%.

Testing is expected to be completed this year, with a pilot batch to be produced and serial production to begin in 2027. This will allow Belarus to develop its own expertise in baler control systems, as well as to design and implement mechanisms for feeding and wrapping bales with netting and stretch film, along with picking up and chopping the crop mass.

The President consistently reminds farmers of the importance of high-quality feed preparation and silage storage, as this largely determines the preservation of livestock during the autumn-winter period and, consequently, the economic performance of the livestock sector.

Weather conditions in Belarus do not always allow for storing hay in trenches. To preserve feed for the off-season, it is wrapped in film using a specialized machine - a baler. In this process, it is crucial to do everything properly and ensure the "packaging" is done correctly.

According to estimates from the Agriculture and Food Ministry, the Belarusian market's need for high-performance balers is over 2,200 units. This requires the production of about 300 such machines per year.

Representatives of Bobruiskagromash assured that they are capable of meeting these volumes. Next year, they plan to produce 50 units, and then scale up to the necessary batches. Not only Bobruiskagromash will be involved, but also other industrial enterprises in the country with relevant expertise. They worked in cooperation to create the domestic baler. For example, one of the most complex components, the frame, was produced at a subsidiary of Gomselmash.

Aleksandr Lukashenko asked the developers what their competitive advantage would be in terms of price compared to foreign models. The President was told that their main competitive edge is the in-house developed control system and hydraulic system.

After reviewing the Bobruiskagromash prototypes, the head of state immediately set a task for the specialists: to create a machine for farmers that would allow them to separate the baled and compressed feed or straw.

In addition, another baler prototype was shown in the field - more compact, not multifunctional, designed solely for straw collection, and consequently cheaper than the domestic model. It was manufactured in Brest Oblast using imported components, with localization currently at 30%, with plans to increase it to 60% next year.

The President was also presented with equipment for soil liming and fertilizer application. According to Brest Oblast Governor Piotr Parkhomchik, soil acidification is a pressing issue for several districts, and the area affected is growing over time. One simple solution is liming with dolomite flour, which increases yields and reduces the need for mineral fertilizers. However, this requires appropriate machinery and an efficient way to deliver the dolomite flour. Belarusian specialists presented a spreader capable of distributing dolomite flour at a minimal distance from the ground. The Belarusian market demand for such machines is estimated at around 435 units, with several units needed in each district agricultural service.