During his trip to Ozeritsky-Agro Aleksandr Lukashenko observed the harvesting of winter barley with the use of Belarusian-made farm machines. The crop, cultivated across 123 hectares in Fregat Urochische, yielded 70 centners per hectare, which is significantly above the national average. High-yield harvest necessitates cutting-edge machinery. The farm utilizes Belarus' most advanced domestic combine harvesters GS12A1 PRO.

"This is the dream. If it [the combine harvester] is of good quality machine it is truly a dream come true. And when a skilled operator runs it...," the president remarked.

The head of state reminisced about his first field test of the machine: “A terrifying sight from above. It is like an ocean liner.”

He also recalled how back in the day some people advised abandoning domestic harvester production in favor of foreign imports.

The president talked to the machine operator inquiring about the strengths and weaknesses of the domestic machine. The farm worker admitted that this is his first year operating this model, so he is extra cautious. It takes time to fully adapt to a new combine harvester.

“I can see you’re driving carefully, and that’s the right approach!” Aleksandr Lukashenko told the machine operator. “Do you see the potential in this harvester? Should we continue producing them?” The operator replied that he had already harvested 100 tonnes with the GS12A1 harvester and had no complaints so far.

“It’s a good harvester. We’ll continue producing it,” the Belarusian leader concluded. “It was the right decision to start manufacturing this model.”

However, manufacturing equipment isn’t enough: it also needs to be properly maintained. This issue was addressed as well. The president spoke out against situations where broken-down machines are simply discarded, saying they should be repaired whenever possible. He expressed confidence that domestic harvesters, when properly maintained, can have a service life comparable to foreign models. Moreover, foreign equipment is significantly more expensive, as it was back when Aleksandr Lukashenko managed a farm himself.

“I remember that buying a harvester from East Germany was relatively affordable. But the spare parts were expensive,” the president recalled.

The GS12A1 harvester is designed to harvest the most challenging grain crops. Its PROFI modification allows for the collection of a wide variety of grain and cereal crops. The machine features all-wheel drive, making it suitable for difficult conditions, such as prolonged rainfall, poor terrain, and low soil bearing capacity.

belta.by