Miory Regional Executive Committee

Harvesting of grain and legume crops, feed preparation, construction of new dairy farms, and livestock fattening – these and other issues were discussed on August 19 at a working meeting at the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee. The meeting was held under the leadership of the Minister of Agriculture and Food, Sergey Bartosh, BELTA correspondent reports.

The head of the relevant ministry directed the northern region toward improving certain indicators. "First of all (the Vitebsk Region. - BELTA note), it is necessary to improve feed preparation, grass harvesting, and harvest corn on time, because, as stated by committee specialists, 60% of the corn will be harvested after the optimal deadline, which means a loss of quality and nutritional value. This will lead not only to poor results in animal husbandry but also to livestock mortality, which receives considerable attention in the republic," Sergey Bartosh emphasized.

He inquired about the construction of dairy farms in the Vitebsk Region, with plans to build 10 such facilities next year. "It is necessary to study the concentration of livestock product production, calf rearing, and livestock fattening. And what the Head of State paid attention to is transferring from those who cannot raise them to those who can," the minister recalled. According to him, the Vitebsk Region needs to work closely on this issue.

Among the ways to resolve the issue, Sergey Bartosh highlighted concentrating livestock in those farms that can raise them and achieve good results. "And the next stage – after raising the heifers – is to return them to farms that produce milk. Thus, there will be a positive outcome – obtaining a larger number of calves and better results in milk production," he added. "When constructing facilities, it is necessary to take into account workforce provision. The larger the complex, the fewer people are required. And we must give people who want to work and are able to do so the opportunity to receive a decent wage."

According to the Committee on Agriculture and Food of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, 201 thousand hectares of grain and legume crops have been harvested in the region, accounting for 76 percent of the harvest area. A total of 491 thousand tons have been harvested at an average yield of 24.5 centners per hectare. Compared to the previous year, the yield proved to be significantly lower (on this same date last year it stood at 31.6 centners per hectare), with the indicator being affected by severe drought.

Sowing of winter rapeseed is continuing at a steady pace. As of today, 44.9 thousand hectares have been sown against a target of 60 thousand hectares, with agricultural workers planning to complete the entire schedule within a couple of days. Upon completion of this work, sowing of winter grain crops will commence.

Regarding fodder crops, 109 thousand hectares have been harvested using the second cutting method. An average of 9.51 centners of feed units has been stockpiled per livestock unit. The gap compared to last year's level, which currently stands at 4.96, is gradually narrowing. A total of 108 fodder harvesting brigades have been established and are currently operating in the region.

belta.by