Belarus plans to build 64 commercial dairy farms and upgrade 40 more within the next five years, Belarus Agriculture and Food Minister Ivan Krupko said in an interview to Belarus 1 TV channel, BelTA has learned.

“The task for dairy cattle farming is to produce 9.2 million tonnes of milk per year with milking herd productivity at 6.5 tonnes per cow. This task is achievable. Over the past five years a total of 390 new dairy farms were built in the country. Within the next five-year period we plan to build 64 farms and reconstruct 40 more,” Ivan Krupko said.

According to him, some milking houses need upgrading. The task for the next five-year period is to replace milking equipment to improve the quality of the product.

The minister said that some 60% of the milking herd is kept with the help of modern management and milking technologies. He added that the cooperation of farming organizations with universities, scientific and practical centers of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus on agriculture and animal husbandry produces great results in both breeding and genetics development.