How many underage tractor drivers have appeared in Belarus? Parliament releases initial figures
Recent amendments to the Road Traffic Act have enabled Belarusian agricultural organisations to employ minors for fieldwork – they have been permitted to operate tractors and self-propelled agricultural machinery. Natalya Shevtsova, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food, revealed how many underage tractor drivers have appeared in Belarus since the adoption of the legislative amendments.
Responding to a direct question from MPs at a joint meeting of the House of Representatives and the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus on 27 November, Shevtsova described the adopted legislative changes as «highly significant» for the country’s agricultural sector.
According to operational data, approximately 600 college graduates and trainees aged 17 and above were engaged during the period of mass harvesting work. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food is convinced that granting underage students of agricultural colleges and universities the right to operate tractors helps to partially address the staffing shortage in agriculture during peak fieldwork periods and also allows the students themselves to gain practical experience more quickly.
«Is 600 a lot or a little? I would like to say that we are always short of 3,000 machine operators at this time of year. Out of that, 600 is a significant contribution,» Shevtsova commented on the initial figures following the 2025 harvest campaign.
Telegraf.news previously reported that amendments to the Road Traffic Act came into force in Belarus this April. The changes affected the rules for obtaining driving licences in Belarus. It is now possible to acquire a licence for certain categories of vehicles even before reaching the age of majority.
В Беларуси вступили в силу изменения в закон «О дорожном движении». О чём нужно знать водителям?