Alexander Subbotin summed up the results of an important stage of the agricultural season in the Vitebsk region
On the eve of the regional festival-fair of rural workers, "Vitebskiye Vesti" asked the Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, Alexander Subbotin, to summarize the results of an important stage of the agricultural season.
– Alexander Mikhailovich, how do you assess the past harvesting campaign?
– For the 2023 harvest, the farms of the Vitebsk region sowed 350 thousand hectares of grain and leguminous crops, and carried out the necessary complex of top dressing and care works. However, the summer drought made adjustments. According to "Vitebskoblhydromet", from April 1 to July 20, precipitation in the region was almost 60% below normal. As a result, grain and leguminous crops died on an area of 82 thousand hectares and were reclassified as fodder crops. The productivity of the remaining crops for harvesting is a quarter lower than last year – 24.2 c/ha (in 2022 – 30.1 c/ha).
In general, 623.1 thousand tons of grain were threshed in the Vitebsk region. To provide public animal husbandry with concentrated feed, decisions have been made to purchase the missing volume of fodder from the Russian Federation.
– Despite the difficult weather conditions, a number of farms consistently show high results. Please name the best ones.
– In terms of yield, the leaders are OJSC "Khotily-Agro" of the Postavy district (70.6 c/ha), SPC "Larinovka" of the Orsha district (65 c/ha), RUP "Tolochinsky Cannery" (48.9 c/ha). In terms of regions, the best indicators are in the Postavy (34.9 c/ha), Vitebsk (32 c/ha), and Orsha (31.4 c/ha) districts. The largest gross harvest is from OJSC "Vitebsk Broiler Poultry Farm" – 45 thousand tons of grain (ahead of 15 districts) with a yield of 40.8 c/ha.
By the way. More than 1000 crews of grain harvesters worked on the harvest. 261 crews threshed more than 1 thousand tons, 26 crews – 2 thousand tons. The absolute leader among the combine operators is Maxim Sernov from OJSC "Agrokombinat "Yubileiny" of the Orsha district, who harvested 3.7 thousand tons.
– How significant was the help of townspeople in harvesting the crops?
– As in previous years, during significant agricultural work (spring sowing campaign, fodder harvesting, crop harvesting), we are forced to attract additional human resources. No matter how high-performance modern equipment is, it is impossible to do without people in the field. Given the reduction in the rural population, agricultural producers still experience a shortage of labor. For the harvesting period, more than 470 workers and over 190 units of equipment, including tractors, trucks, and loaders, were additionally involved.
Taking this opportunity, I want to thank all the heads of industrial organizations and educational institutions that provided assistance to the villagers. Special thanks to those specialists who worked directly in the field.
– How is the technical re-equipment of the industry progressing in the Vitebsk region?
– This year, agricultural enterprises purchased 258 units of equipment, including 116 grain harvesters and 16 forage harvesters, 46 mowers, and 55 balers.
As part of the instructions of the President of Belarus on the effective use of equipment and its timely repair, restoration work is being carried out to increase the service life at specialized enterprises. Such as Orsha Tool Plant, Vitebsk Engine Repair Plant, Zapadno-Dvin MRS, Verkhnedvinsk Rayagriservice, Tiraspol Agrotechservice, Orsha Rayagriservice.
– Abnormal weather in late spring – early summer also affected grass growth. As a result, planned feed volumes were not obtained from the first mowing. Now, one of the main tasks for farmers is to compensate for losses. How many centners of feed units per conventional head of cattle need to be harvested to ensure the winter stall period proceeds smoothly?
– May cold snaps and June drought did not allow for full grass development. From the first mowing, 5 centners of feed units per conventional head of cattle were harvested, which is one and a half times less than last year. Certain measures were taken to ensure that feed harvesting continued: farms were supplied with fuel and lubricants, equipment repairs and spare parts delivery were carried out promptly, and additional areas for feed harvesting were identified. As mentioned above, 82 thousand hectares of grain and leguminous crops were mowed for grain silage. Intermediate crops, which were practically not cultivated before, have been sown on an area of almost 17 thousand hectares. Today, the third mowing of grasses, harvesting of corn, and intermediate crops are underway. As a result, there are currently 17.05 centners of feed units per conventional head of cattle, and the gap with last year is gradually narrowing (on the same date in 2022, it was 19.50 centners of feed units). Currently, taking into account the remaining areas of fodder crops and their productivity, the task is to harvest at least 22-23 centners of feed units per conventional head. If we add the carry-over stock of feed from last year, we will have 24-25 centners of feed units for the stall period, which is sufficient for cattle overwintering. Farmers have been tasked with sowing 50 thousand hectares of grain and cruciferous crops in the autumn, which will be used for green fodder in the spring.
– How is the foundation for the 2024 harvest being laid?
– In the grain crop acreage for the 2024 harvest, winter crops, being the most productive, will account for 60%. The areas under winter barley, for example, have been increased to 16.8 thousand hectares, or almost nine times compared to last year. As of yesterday, 155.6 thousand hectares of winter grains have been sown (68% of the target), which is 36 thousand hectares more than last year's level. In total, it is planned to sow 230 thousand hectares.
– Alexander Mikhailovich, what are your wishes to the grain growers on the eve of "Dazhynki"?
– First of all, I want to express words of gratitude to all the workers of the village for their diligent work and dedication to their difficult, but honorable labor. Despite the fact that the harvesting campaign was not easy, you worked conscientiously, sparing no effort on weekdays and weekends from dawn till dusk, showing professionalism and responsibility for the task entrusted to you.
May your homes always be filled with well-being, prosperity, and comfort!