Pig breeding complexes should be upgraded, and the upgrade effort should be modeled on that of dairy farms, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said at the meeting to discuss the country's pig breeding industry, BelTA has learned.

“As we have already said, we need to upgrade pig breeding complexes. Almost 70% of these complexes were built more than 20 years ago. There should be a specific program to bring these complexes into shape,” the head of state emphasized. He added that many of them are outdated and have a high degree of wear and tear.

In this regard, the president recalled that medium-sized pig breeding complexes (for about 24,000 head) were built in some farms upon his instruction back in the day and these complexes have proved to be a good idea. “Why wouldn't you keep doing it?” Aleksandr Lukashenko asked.

The head of state also spoke about biological security of pig breeding complexes, which he sees as a matter of national importance. “Please keep in mind that helping agricultural workers with harvesting, providing the agricultural sector with equipment, fertilizers and financial resources is the responsibility of the so-called agricultural business, the responsibility of governors, heads of district executive committees, heads of agricultural enterprises. Meanwhile, the government should strictly control how order and biosecurity are maintained. The same pertains to soil fertility. Reclamation, soil fertility, roads, etc. - this is the area of responsibility of government agencies. Therefore, ensuring biological security and order at complexes is a matter of national importance,” the Belarusian leader emphasized.

“Let's think of a centralized program to renovate our pig-breeding complexes and to build new ones, like it was done with dairy complexes,” the head of state continued.

At the same time, he emphasized the importance of a responsible attitude to work and compliance with rules, otherwise modernization will not help. “Thus, today we need to take decisions that will ensure sustainable development of the pig industry. I believe, we need professional and out-of-the-box solutions,” the president noted.