Miory Regional Executive Committee
By the end of this year, the average milk yield per cow in the Vitebsk region is expected to reach at least 4.7 thousand liters. This task has been set before agricultural workers at a meeting of the Regional Executive Committee, where the results of the livestock industry for 2024 were discussed.
This will mark yet another record in the history of the region. Recall that in 2023, the milk yield per cow amounted to 4,225 liters, and in 2024 – 4,504 liters.
Opening the meeting, the Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee Aleksandr Subbotin stated that positive outcomes have been recorded for 2024. However, there remains scope for further work, growth, and development. Livestock farming generates the primary revenue for the agricultural sector and forms the tax base; therefore, to develop this sector, it is necessary to address current issues and strategic prospects.
As reported by the First Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture and Food of the Regional Executive Committee Natalya Bortnik, gross livestock production increased by 5.6% compared to the previous year. In its structure, milk accounts for 46.9%, cattle breeding – 12.1%, pork – 16.3%, poultry – 19%, and egg production – 5.7%.
The highest productivity of the milking herd was recorded in the Orsha district – 7,085 liters per cow, Gorodok district – 6,625 liters, and Vitebsk district – 6,594 liters. Last year, 60 thousand cows, or 36% of the total herd, were kept at 97 modern dairy complexes. The average yield at these facilities amounted to 5,843 kg, which is 30% higher than the regional average. By the end of 2024, 11 new dairy complexes with a capacity of 7 thousand head were put into operation, and construction of ten additional facilities was started.
Pork production increased by 2.4% with an average daily weight gain of 640 g. There are reserves for improving this indicator through new breeding farms and reconstructed fattening sites.
Poultry farming increased by 14.6% (the best indicator in the country), with 450 million eggs produced (an average of 309 per hen). These indicators also represent the best results in the history of the region.
At the meeting, problem areas related to livestock management technology, product quality improvement, and operational efficiency were discussed. In remarks to journalists, the Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture and Food, Andrey Bulavkin, emphasized that across all sectors of the industry, agricultural specialists see the path forward.
The personnel issue was also discussed. The Rector of the Vitebsk State Academy of Veterinary Medicine, Olga Gorlova, addressed the meeting participants. She called on regional heads, agro-industrial associations, and agricultural enterprises to intensify career guidance efforts among school graduates to develop a skilled workforce for farms. Specifically, Olga Gorlova announced that under targeted training agreements, young people can enroll in the veterinary academy without entrance examinations as early as early July. During their studies, they will receive additional scholarship payments, and upon graduation, they will be guaranteed employment with a five-year contract and material incentives. Admission requirements are available on the university’s website, as well as on its Telegram and Instagram pages.