Achievements and objectives of modern agricultural science
In the Republic of Belarus there are five research and practical centers conducting research in the field of agriculture. They are the Research and Practical Center for Arable Farming, the Research and Practical Center for Potato Growing, Fruit and Vegetable Growing, the Research and Practical Center for Animal Husbandry, the Research and Practical Center for Agriculture Mechanization, the Research and Practical Center for Foodstuffs. The centers were established in 2006. The innovations of these research and practical centers have mostly ensured the progress in the agro-industrial complex of the country. Over the last ten years labour productivity in the countryside has increased by more than 23 times. The return of the government funding in 2011-2015 for the National Program “Agro-industrial complex-2020” has exceeded 200 times. The most important aim of the Belarusian agricultural science for further 5 years is scientific support for the increase of the competitiveness of domestic agricultural products. The objectives on the achievement of this aim are indicated in the National Program “Agro-industrial complex”. More than 60 % of the products to be developed within the Program will ensure import substitution, and 40 % of them will have the potential for export. It’s expected that for 5 years the output of domestically produced substitutes according to the developments of the scientists will be 38 trillion roubles and products for export - 20 trillion roubles (before denomination).