"First in the world in peat production, third in potash salts." What is the Belarusian land rich in?

The Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Sergei Maslyak explained why the protective use of mineral resources is one of the main areas of work of the environmental protection agency, BELTA reports.

The issues of intensifying the country's mineral resource base are under constant control. The head of the Ministry of Natural Resources emphasized that the announcement of 2025 as the Year of Improvement in Belarus also affects such areas as the use of minerals in construction, landscaping of territories and sites, road construction, providing cities with drinking water from underground sources, and more.

In 2024, with the participation of all subsoil users in the country, an increase in a number of reserves was ensured, namely molding and glass sand - 2.4 million tons, boulder-gravel-sand mixture - 13.9 million cubic meters, sand used for road and construction work - 20.6 million cubic meters, peat - 4.6 million tons.

The head of the ministry also drew attention to the fact that in the previous year, work continued to increase the level of growth of new industrial oil reserves over its production. Thus, the increase in oil amounted to 2.8 million tons (110.3% of the 2023 level), and production - almost 2 million tons (103.2%).

"There is something to be proud of. Our country is the world's number one peat producer. We are third in potash production, and among the world's top thirty rock salt producers. In 2025, within the framework of the state program, it is planned to increase refractory clay reserves by 1 million tons, oil reserves by 2.8 million tons, and oil resources by 250 million tons," summed up the head of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Sergei Maslyak.