August 21 2003, 13:58 APK-Inform

Grain movements in Belarus will be strictly controlled - Lukashenko

According to agriculture ministry, as of August 20 Belarusian peasants harvested 1.626 million hectares or 78.5 percent of area of grains and pulses (without maize). There were collected as of the day 4.382 million tonnes of grain. Average yield constitutes 2.723 tonnes per hectare, which is by 0.036 tonne per hectare higher than last year. Up to now 214,220 tonnes of grain have been sold to the state. The state order for grain is 1 million tonnes.

According to Belarusian media, president Lukashenko, speaking to the country's agricultural authorities, has said that the established price for grain supplied within the state order, which is $90 to 110 per tonne, will not be increased. He ordered the government to take under strict control grain flows in the country. He made a remark that a part of the grain crop could be sold abroad only on the decision of government, and only to those buyers "who will pay more".

According to preliminary estimates, total grain crop in the country will constitute 5.3 million tonnes. Annual demand of domestic market is assessed in 6 million tonnes.