Belarus attempted to disprove the efficiency of wheat production in Lithuania

Belarusian economist Irina Novikova has found herself at the center of a public debate after claiming that Lithuania’s agricultural sector is less efficient than Belarus’s. Speaking on state radio, she stated that Belarus harvested 9 million tons of wheat, while Lithuania collected roughly half that amount. It later emerged, however, that the comparison was based on different statistical categories.

Novikova attempted to challenge claims about the high productivity of Lithuania’s agricultural sector, citing her own “official calculations.” According to her, Lithuania allegedly harvested only 4.5 million tons of wheat, while Belarus’s wheat output amounted to 9 million tons.

However, official statistics show that the 9 million tons figure in Belarus refers to the total harvest of all grains and legumes, not wheat alone. Belarusian statistical authorities (Belstat) stopped publishing separate wheat figures in 2022, but in previous years the wheat harvest did not exceed 3 million tons even in strong seasons.

In Lithuania, wheat production last year indeed exceeded 4.5 million tons and reached nearly 5 million tons when including spring wheat varieties. The total grain and legume harvest amounted to about 7 million tons, which is significant given the country’s much smaller cultivated area compared to Belarus.

Thus, critics of Novikova’s statements point to a clear methodological mismatch: Lithuania’s wheat output was compared with Belarus’s total grain and legume production. When total figures are considered, Lithuanian agriculture demonstrates higher efficiency per unit of land.

Tags: wheat, Belarus