Visit to Amkodor Lesmash forestry machinery manufacturer

On 25 September, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko made a working trip to Logoisk District, Minsk Oblast, where he visited the Amkodor Lesmash forestry machinery manufacturer.

The head of state noted that it is impossible to work in the forest under modern conditions without the appropriate machinery. "Nobody works with an axe or a Druzhba-2 two-man crosscut saw anymore. And there is no need to. Therefore, without your harvesters and forwarders, we won't be able to achieve anything out there," he said.

The President emphasized that it is crucial to continue working on improving product quality, both for the forestry machinery lineup and for Amkodor holding company's products as a whole. "I am counting on you to push Amkodor up, not down, so that we see results," Aleksandr Lukashenko said, addressing Aleksandr Yefimov, Director General of Amkodor - Managing Company of the Amkodor Holding Company.

Regarding forestry machinery, the head of the enterprise assured that Amkodor is ready to meet the demand of domestic logging operations for specialized vehicles. This includes the prospect of scaling up production to ensure the timely harvesting of mature forests, a point heavily emphasized by the head of state.

Aleksandr Lukashenko also pointed out that it is necessary not only to satisfy the needs of the domestic market but also to export these products, for instance, to the Russian Federation. "We must drive exports. We have room to grow. We need to help the Russians in the forestry industry," Belarusian leader said. The head of the holding company assured the head of state that work is already under way in this area. A number of Russian regions, in particular Arkhangelsk Oblast, have shown interest in Amkodor's forestry machinery.

"We must hurry, we need to act faster. There will be no other period in the history of Belarus in the foreseeable future like this one - complex and difficult, yet at the same time advantageous for us. Under no circumstances should we relax. Because you will be able to secure the vacated markets more quickly. We must definitively strengthen timber harvesting in Belarus," he emphasized. "We must act quickly and work as much as necessary."

It was reported to Aleksandr Lukashenko that machines produced by Amkodor account for 52% of the country's total forestry machinery fleet. To date, the enterprise in Logoisk has reached its design capacity of 120 units of equipment per year. Meanwhile, the average consumption of forestry vehicles through 2030 is projected at 100 units annually. Thus, the production capacity of Amkodor Lesmash makes it possible not only to meet the needs of the Belarusian forestry complex but also to export the machinery in the future.

In this regard, the President inquired whether the enterprise was operating at full capacity. Aleksandr Yefimov noted that it is impossible to expand production within the existing facilities, however, the enterprise has room for growth through the potential expansion of its production areas. Future plans include developing in-house competencies, expanding the product range, and fully commissioning all production facilities to bring the annual output to 250 vehicles.

The Belarusian leader asked Forestry Minister Sergei Uldinovich, who is directly involved in the forestry industry and can observe Amkodor machines firsthand during operation, about the quality of the domestic equipment: "What is it that you don't like here? What is bad?" the head of state asked. According to the forestry minister, Amkodor's forestry machinery used to have certain issues, but most of them have been resolved. The enterprise also works in close cooperation with the organizations of the Forestry Ministry to develop maintenance services for wood-processing machinery. "If you are satisfied with it, then you will be held responsible for all the shortcomings in the forest that I see," Aleksandr Lukashenko told Sergei Uldinovich.

The head of state recalled that a number of decisions regarding Amkodor, including financial issues, had been made earlier. In this regard, he asked: "Is there any result? Or is this just a temporary breather before another collapse?"

The President was reported that Amkodor Lesmash and other enterprises of the holding company are demonstrating revenue growth rates, and there is also positive dynamics in exports. Work is under way to increase the localization rate of machinery and capacity utilization of the plants. Issues regarding the further improvement of product quality are being resolved. This provides grounds to believe that as early as next year, products will be exported in larger volumes.

At the enterprise, the President thoroughly reviewed the production process and the samples of manufactured products. The head of state was also given a live demonstration of a machinery complex in action, featuring a domestic harvester and forwarder.

Aleksandr Lukashenko was informed that the enterprise has already done extensive work on import substitution, manufacturing domestic components that are as good as the best foreign models. These include harvester heads, the most expensive and knowledge-intensive component. This line of work became all the more relevant after a number of countries introduced sanctions against Belarus and its enterprises.

In this regard, Aleksandr Lukashenko recalled his initial demand to officials and enterprise management. "Talking about sanctions is forbidden. No such talk! This is a time of opportunity. If they hadn't pressured us, we wouldn't have this. And if we did, it wouldn't be in our lifetime. Here you have the result. If you don't want it, you don't have to - we did it ourselves. And if we are a smart engineering country, we must do this, whatever it takes," he emphasized, using the example of mastering the production of all necessary forestry machinery in Belarus.

The President noted that the state will always find funds for such projects. The main thing is not to miss the moment to manufacture in-demand products and carve out a market niche. This applies not only to forestry machinery. "There has never been and never will be any spare money. Nevertheless, I am pressuring both the National Bank and the government to ensure we find these funds. How? That is our concern. But now we need to act more efficiently and faster," the head of state said. "There is progress. Dynamics are what matter to me. The one who runs today will win. We need to move quickly, both in sales and everything else."