21 July 2026

"If we have grain, we’ll survive." Lukashenko on the harvest campaign and food security

The harvest campaign is not only a particular test for agricultural workers, but also a guarantee of the country’s food security and one of the foundations of export foreign-currency earnings. President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said this at a conference call on the 2026 harvest campaign, a BELTA correspondent reports.

The head of state noted that the meeting, held in the format of a broad conference call, is traditional, as the harvest is one of the country’s most important issues at this time of year.

“Speaking of the Belarusian mentality, it is deeply ingrained in us that even when the world is shaken by wars and conflicts, and the line between common sense and the madness of certain, including political, figures has disappeared, we must plough, sow, and harvest grain. Because people want to eat in both wartime and peacetime,” Alexander Lukashenko said. “The harvest campaign is not only a particular test, not only the result of the entire annual cycle of farmers’ work, but also a firm guarantee of our food security and one of the foundations of export foreign-currency earnings. It is the concern of the entire state, not just farmers. If we have bread, we will live.”

“And for the country to have bread and meat, for enterprises not to be left without raw materials, farms and complexes without feed, and for the state order to be fulfilled, everyone must perform their duties properly and without any disruptions,” the President stressed.

He noted that everything had been done for this purpose. In addition, the harvest outlook is expected to be fairly good. “Now we need to bring in the maximum possible harvest, without excuses or references to circumstances, including the vagaries of the weather. Such surprises are a familiar occurrence in our latitudes, and we have experience from previous campaigns,” the head of state added.

Work is currently underway in the fields in several areas. Grain crops and winter rapeseed are being harvested, the second cutting of grasses is under way, and winter crops will soon need to be sown. “Planning everything properly is the task of the entire vertical structure — from the agronomist and the head of an agricultural organisation to governors and the government,” Alexander Lukashenko stressed.

“There is no time to waste. As you can see, God does not allow us to waste time. Large-scale harvesting is taking place five to seven days earlier than usual, and given the heavy rains and moderate warming, it will not be easy,” he stated. “I do not even want to speak at length about discipline — it is fundamental. It must be ironclad, both in terms of compliance with technology and in terms of one’s attitude towards one’s duties.”

The President also called for assistance to those living on private household plots: “First of all, we must help elderly and single people, who have no one to rely on except the head of the agricultural enterprise and the state.”