We Must Create a Country We Can Pass to Our Children: Lukashenko’s Bold Vision for Belarus’ Revival

During a sweeping working visit to Mozyr on 24 April, President Alexander Lukashenko delivered a forthright message on the future of Belarus’ countryside: disciplined land stewardship, modern agricultural services, and a relentless drive to build a nation strong enough to hand down to the next generation.

From the air, the southern fields unfolded like an open book. The President’s major regional tour began in Mozyr, offering both a bird’s-eye view of spring sowing and a ground-level reality check on the state of Belarusian agriculture. While Gomel region is keeping pace with the capital on fieldwork, serious gaps remain — especially in livestock farming. Showing inspection photos, Lukashenko did not mince words: “This is what you call a disaster.”

Responsible Stewardship of Reclaimed Land

From above, the results of decades-long melioration efforts were unmistakable. Turning marshy, stubborn Polessye soil into productive farmland has always demanded time, money, and persistence. Slack off for even two or three years, and the canals silt over and the land reverts. The President was uncompromising:

“We carried out melioration, invested serious money, and now the prosecutor will come and ask: did you sign the handover certificate?”

Every hectare reclaimed by the state must be formally transferred to farms via official acts. Once signed, the responsibility is total. “You took millions of rubles’ worth of land — now answer for its condition,” Lukashenko stressed. The logic is simple: if you want to build a business and make profit on state-reclaimed land, sign for it and maintain it.

He also highlighted the transformative power of modern dairy complexes: “When we turn poor land into proper dairy farms, the whole area changes — even here in Polessye, with its swamps, forests and sands.”

Reviving Agro-Services: From Repair to Production

A large on-site seminar on rural agricultural services was deliberately held at the impressive Mozyr enterprise. Governors, presidential aides, and regional specialists from across the country gathered to study best practices in machinery repair, maintenance, and local manufacturing.

Lukashenko pointed out that many farms desperately need help servicing increasingly complex equipment — and that the country is losing its old “grey-haired” master mechanics. “We must ask the veterans to return, to teach the young, to pass on their knowledge,” he said.

At “Mozyrtechservice,” broken machines are brought back to life. The enterprise not only repairs but now produces seed drills, cultivators, and fertilizer spreaders. The President urged the country to master the production of bolts, gears, and spare parts locally: “Any breakdown means lost days and lost money. Repair is almost always cheaper than buying new.”

He demanded acceleration in restoring the old Soviet-era network of district and regional agro-service centers — “райагросервисы” — under the unified vertical of Belagroservice. “We named them, but we’re moving far too slowly on equipping and modernizing them,” he said. “We must speed up.”

Reassessing “One District — One Project”

Lukashenko called for a critical review of the “One District — One Project” initiative. While some projects have delivered, he noted that reviving agro-service centers and machinery repair hubs may be far more valuable than creating a handful of low-skill jobs in plastic packaging or minor manufacturing. “These are good, solid projects that we must implement,” he emphasized.

Zero Tolerance for Wasted Fertilizers

Turning to the sensitive issue of fertilizer storage, the President issued a stern warning — one clearly meant for the entire country:

“Guys, you’re already standing with one foot in prison. I’ve explained the economics to you. International prices for nitrogen fertilizers are sky-high, and you’re letting them rot. If you can’t store them — don’t take them. Bring them in the morning and spread them by evening. Mobilization and discipline are required.”

A Country for the Next Generation

In his most philosophical moment, Lukashenko addressed the deeper stakes. Speaking to both veteran managers and the younger generation (noting that figures like Dmitry Krutoy never lived through the early years of independence), he stressed the irreplaceable value of experience:

“We are adults. Experience is built over years and decades. The young are smart, they understand the internet — but without food and clothing, nothing works. We must use the time we have left to create a country we can hand over to our children. Otherwise, everything will be lost.”

He praised the cultural improvement in farming visible from the helicopter — neatly cultivated fields, careful work — but insisted the standard must become universal. Special programs for Polessye development, including ambitious targets for milk, grain, and beef by 2030, are proceeding on schedule. New bridges, roads, schools, and production facilities are rising.

The President’s message was clear and urgent: modernize agriculture across the board, preserve the land, develop real production, and — above all — remember that the ultimate task is to leave behind a strong, self-sufficient country.

From the marshes of the south to the fields of the north, Lukashenko’s vision is the same: science, discipline, responsibility, and a long-term view. Not just survival — but a legacy worth inheriting.