An experimental tracked tractor is working in the fields of the Shumilino district
An experimental tracked tractor is operating in the fields of the Shumilino district, as reported by the Committee for Agriculture and Food of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee.
The "Kirovets K-744" from the St. Petersburg Tractor Plant, equipped with wide rubber tracks, is being used for plowing low-lying fields at OAO "Lovzhanskoye," which is part of the integration structure of the Vitebsk Meat Processing Plant. It covers about 30-40 hectares of difficult land daily. "This is a quite good result, as a conventional wheeled tractor would simply not be able to operate there under current conditions," specialists explained.
The machine has been provided by the Russian enterprise free of charge for the entire field work season. Upon its completion, the farm management and the regional agricultural committee will analyze the results and the feasibility of acquiring a whole line of tracked equipment for the region. "The sowing campaign in our region starts later each year than in the country as a whole due to weather conditions. For the same reason, the harvest is often delayed. If tracked equipment proves itself well, its use will help to level out the current limitations of sowing and harvesting in the Vitebsk region," the regional agricultural committee noted.
The committee clarified that currently, Belarus does not produce tracked tractors with an engine power exceeding 428 hp for agriculture. As of May 4, 146 thousand hectares of early grain and leguminous crops have been sown in the region, out of a plan of 210 thousand hectares. The pace of sowing significantly exceeds last year's, thanks to a substantial fleet of necessary equipment acquired through leasing in 2017. The work is progressing most actively in the Dubrovensky, Dokshitsky, Orshansky, and Gluboksky districts, where the sowing of early grain and leguminous crops is planned to be completed in the coming days. The Braslavsky, Rossonsky, and Senno districts have not yet gained sufficient momentum. However, each region of the oblast has reserves to intensify the work, the regional agricultural committee added.