Miory Regional Executive Committee
In Sharakoushchyna, the regional festival-fair of rural workers “Dazhynki-2023” was held. Although the agricultural season in the northern region will not conclude soon, some initial results can already be summarized. Journalists accomplished this together with Alexander Subbotin, Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee.
— Alexander Mikhailovich, this year proved to be harsh on our grain farmers. Will the harvested crop be sufficient to meet the region's needs and fulfill the state order?
— Indeed, it can be called a true test of resilience. At the start of the season, all necessary measures were taken to achieve good results in crop production. Within optimal agrotechnical deadlines, 131 thousand hectares of spring cereals and legumes, 85 thousand hectares of corn for silage, and 50 thousand hectares of annual forage crops were sown.
Due to weather factors, the gross harvest of cereals and legumes was 40 percent lower compared to last year. We managed to collect 623.1 thousand tons with an average yield of 24.2 centners per hectare. In 2022, we threshed over one million tons, averaging 30.1 centners overall. However, as you remember, the conditions of last year were exceptionally favorable for our agrarians.
To meet state needs this year, our agricultural organizations are required to deliver 109 thousand tons of grain — less than 20 percent of the total volume obtained. At the same time, it is obvious that the harvested crop is insufficient to provide concentrated feed for the public livestock sector. A decision has been made to purchase the missing volume of feed grain — approximately 150 thousand tons — from the Russian Federation.
— Will corn help compensate for the shortfall in grain?
— Weather conditions hindered the growth and development of all without exception agricultural crops, including corn. Therefore, many farms took this step: harvesting part of the area sown for grain as green fodder. As a result, the harvest area for corn decreased from 9 to 6 thousand hectares. The expected gross grain harvest will amount to about 30 thousand tons, whereas last time we threshed 41.6 thousand.
— Has the ranking of harvest leaders changed significantly, and which districts managed to [cut off]
— This year's conditions have once again confirmed that the best results on the land are achieved by those who strictly follow technological practices, widely utilize achievements of agricultural science, apply high-yield crop varieties, and operate high-performance machinery. Therefore, no fundamental changes have occurred in this regard. Consistently high grain yields are achieved in the Vitebsk, Postavy, Orsha, Dubrovno, Verkhnedvinsk, and Talochin districts.
— Are any changes planned in the sowing structure for next year's harvest?
— Recently, nature has been presenting surprises; therefore, it is necessary to draw conclusions and restructure the work of the crop production sector to minimize dependence on weather factors as much as possible. To this end, it is primarily necessary to maximize the areas under winter cereals and cruciferous crops, including winter rapeseed. At the same time, it is necessary to eliminate overlapping agricultural operations, ensuring mandatory timely technical modernization.
— Which agricultural works are in focus today?
— The priority is sowing winter cereal crops, while monitoring includes harvesting corn, potatoes, open-field vegetables, buckwheat, applying organic and mineral fertilizers, and other field operations.
— High progress rates have been achieved in sowing winter crops. What emphasis does the region place on these crops?
— Indeed, as of September 28, winter cereals have been sown over an area of 155.6 thousand hectares, which is 68 percent of the plan. This is 29 percent higher than last year's level. Traditionally, winter crops yield more compared to spring cereals, so it was decided to increase their acreage. If 208 thousand hectares of winter cereals were sown in 2022, this year plans call for an additional 22 thousand hectares.
— An equally important issue is fodder preparation. Will it be possible to create the necessary reserves considering the shortfall at the beginning of summer?
— All measures have been taken in the region to organize the harvesting of green fodder at a high organizational level. We discuss the progress of these works twice a week via video conference with the participation of the leadership of the Regional Executive Committee and District Executive Committees.
Also, taking into account the extremely difficult situation regarding the supply of public livestock with green fodder for the upcoming winter housing period, a package of additional measures aimed at intensifying fodder harvesting was adopted in August.
I should note that since then, the situation has improved. The shortfall compared to the 2022 level in terms of fodder volumes per conditional head of livestock decreased from 4.78 centners on August 24 to 2.45 centners on September 28. As of this date, 17.05 centners of green fodder per conditional head of livestock (in feed units) has been harvested in the region.
Attention to this issue remains at a high level. Fodder harvesting continues at an active pace. To this end, we are harvesting corn, intermediate crops, and second and third cuttings of grasses.
— Alexander Mikhailovich, the foundation of all achievements lies primarily in human labor. Tell us about the support system adopted in the region to retain personnel in the agricultural sector and attract new ones.
— A comprehensive set of measures is being implemented, beginning with financial support for students and trainees pursuing agricultural specialties under targeted contracts at higher education institutions or vocational training establishments. This year alone, regional employers have concluded 131 targeted contracts for the training of specialists at agricultural higher education institutions.
Moreover, the majority of these targeted contracts with specific organizations stipulate incentive bonuses; notably, their amount has increased in recent years (reaching up to ten base values).
With regard to young male specialists arriving at agro-industrial enterprises in the region, the Regional Executive Committee submits requests to military commissariats to transfer them from active duty to reserve service. To retain veterinary and zootechnical specialists in rural areas, incentive payments are provided on top of established tariff rates—an additional 1,000 Belarusian rubles per month to their salary, funded from the regional budget. The number of such “thousand-ruble” recipients stood at 23 in March 2021, and had risen to 71 young specialists by August 2023.
Additionally, please note the substantial support provided to agro-industrial sector employees directly within agricultural enterprises, in accordance with collective agreements. Taken together, all these measures yield tangible results, as evidenced by the performance of numerous farms across the region.
— Thank you, Alexander Mikhailovich, for the interview. We wish the Vitebskaia Region a successful conclusion to the agricultural season and a highly productive year ahead for the agro-industrial complex.
Source: vitebsk-region.gov.by