A.N. Kosinets: Modernization and technical re-equipment are the foundation of the future

Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee Alexander Nikolaevich Kosinets:

The main task of the agro-industrial complex of the Vitebsk region in 2013 is to increase the efficiency of agricultural production, create large-scale, low-cost biotechnological complexes with a closed production cycle. Currently, optimization of agricultural organizations is underway, which will allow in the future to concentrate the main production of products in 170 large agricultural enterprises, each of which will have at least 7,000 hectares of arable land.

The specifics of the work of Vitebsk region farmers are determined by the natural and climatic conditions of the northernmost region of the country, with spring and autumn work periods shortened by three to four weeks compared to other regions of Belarus.

The development of the region's agro-industrial complex has acquired a progressive and dynamic character, and stable growth rates in agricultural production volumes have been ensured. Significant changes have occurred in the technical re-equipment of agricultural organizations and enterprises involved in the processing of agricultural products.

Over the past four years, agricultural producers have received 10.8 thousand units of equipment worth over 2.5 trillion rubles, including 1372 tractors, of which 730 are high-power, 1389 grain harvesters, 395 forage harvesters, and other equipment. All this has made it possible to carry out field work within optimal agro-technical deadlines. 91 modern high-performance grain cleaning and drying complexes and 5 seed cleaning lines for grain processing to obtain quality seeds are operating in the organizations of the Dvina region.

Thanks to the joint efforts of villagers, townspeople, youth, and veterans, seasonal work in fields and farms is carried out promptly and effectively. More than 10 thousand workers from industrial enterprises, organizations, and institutions in cities assist rural workers during the most critical periods of work to address food security challenges.

An optimal structure of sown areas has been developed and approved with the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, allowing for the annual production of over a million tons of grain and ensuring the provision of fodder and forage crops for the public livestock population.

Since 2010, we have not imported fodder from other regions of the country. By 2013, the region reached the national average indicators for the application of mineral fertilizers to agricultural crops, and the application of organic fertilizers per hectare of arable land has practically doubled.

The implementation of the regional program "Clean Fields" has allowed for the introduction of over 200 thousand hectares of previously inefficiently used agricultural land into crop rotation, with 140 thousand hectares of woody and shrub vegetation removed. The average contour of arable land has increased by 3.9 hectares to 12 hectares.

Within the framework of state programs for the development of potato cultivation, vegetable growing, and fruit growing, the construction of new and the technical re-equipment of existing potato and fruit and vegetable storage facilities are actively underway. Their total capacity is over 40 thousand tons. The planting of new orchards is actively progressing, with over 1600 hectares planted.

The cattle population increased from 582.3 thousand heads in 2009 to 614.0 thousand heads in 2013 (an increase of 31.7 thousand heads, including 8.6 thousand more cows). Four years ago, 74.7 thousand cows on 488 dairy farms were milked with portable milking machines into buckets, 534 farms were equipped with milk pipelines, and only 21 had milking parlors. 358 thousand heads were serviced by manual labor.

In 2013, we are fully transitioning to a modern milk production system: milk pipelines have been installed on 569 dairy farms, over 200 farms will be equipped with milking parlors and robots, and bucket milking and manual labor will be eliminated.

Rationalization of labor resource utilization, continuous improvement of human resources, and retention of talented managers, specialists, and workers in agricultural production are the main tools for efficient production.

After the reconstruction of dairy farms equipped with milking parlors and robots is completed, the number of dairy cows will increase, and the gross milk production will reach 1 million tons per year.

The commissioning of new technological equipment at processing industry enterprises will ensure the efficient production of products in demand on domestic and foreign markets.

Since 2009, investments in meat and dairy processing enterprises have amounted to 2.5 trillion rubles. Modernization and technical re-equipment of eight dairy and four meat processing organizations have been carried out. This year, the construction of a hard cheese production workshop at JSC "Postavy Dairy Plant" will be completed, as well as the reconstruction of existing cheese production facilities at the Braslav branch of JSC "Glubokoye Condensed Milk Plant" and the production of baby food at JSC "Orsha Meat Canning Plant".

The intensive and meticulous work of rural residents this year has allowed for a substantial grain harvest. The gross grain yield in all categories of farms amounted to almost 1.1 million tons.

Based on the results of the 2013 harvest, 169 combine harvester crews threshed 1000 tons or more.

The crew consisting of Zakharchenko Nikolai Vladimirovich and Katkovsky Sergey Nikolaevich from agricultural production cooperative ”Larionovka“ of Orsha district threshed 2012 tons of grain. Five crews threshed over 1500 tons. These are two crews from collective farm ”Olgovskoye“ of Vitebsk district – Voronov Sergey Nikolaevich and Zavodny Alexander Ivanovich, Paramonov Leonid Nikolaevich and Minin Pavel Viken'tevich; crews of OJSC ”Torguny“ of Dokshitsy district - Voronkovich Alexey Nikolaevich and Esipenko Ilya Sergeevich, Anikovich Vladimir Ivanovich; crew of OJSC ”Prudinki“ of Verkhnedvinsk district - Barstok Alexander Alekandrovich and Pankrat Dmitry Nikolaevich. Young people are working well in grain harvesting. Out of 169 crews – thousand-tonners, 21 crews are youth crews.

Drivers from Dubrovenno, Verkhnedvinsk, Orsha, Vitebsk, Glubokoye districts are leaders in grain hauling. Almost 3400 tons were transported by MAZ-555 vehicles by drivers Batyan Alexander Alexandrovich (OJSC ”Yakubovo-Agro“ of Dubrovenno district) and Zhukovsky Oleg Iosifovich (OJSC ”Prudinki“ of Verkhnedvinsk district).

Positive trends in increasing the efficiency of agricultural production are evident. The agro-industrial complex operates within the framework of the "Vitagro" subprogram, which is included in the Regional Program for Innovative and Investment Development of the Vitebsk Region for 2011-2015. Its goal is profitable agricultural production, labor productivity growth, food security, a gradual transition to self-financing principles, improving the welfare of the rural population, and further developing the export of agricultural products and foodstuffs.