OREANDA-NEWS. December 19, 2007. Belarus will continue subsidizing the agricultural industry, Vice-Premier Ivan Bambiza said when answering the questions of deputies of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly, reported the Official website www.government.by.

He said that “Belarus seeks to make the agriculture an efficient industry. Yet this is the issue of the years to come. We see such system in the neighbouring countries including Russia.”

According to the Vice-Premier, it is a worldwide practice to support agricultural producers. This support ranges from 30% to 50% of the costs of agricultural production. “The support in Belarus ranges within the same parameters,” Ivan Bambiza said. The task of the government today is to create the conditions for attracting potential investors in the agricultural industry who can set up highly efficient productions. The task is to increase agricultural exports so that we could earn some money and increase the purchasing prices. Then the subsidies to the agriculture will reduce.

Ivan Bambiza also spoke about the main areas of work to make the industry more efficient. The conditions are being created to ramp up plant growing, to develop high-technology basis in cattle-breeding. This is the main support of agricultural producers. This is the job the government will be doing in the near-term perspective, the Vice-Premier said.