Gennady Sabinich: "Today, the focus should be on soil cultivation and ensuring the food security of the Vitebsk region"
– At the end of last year, we decided to hold such meetings monthly with visits to the districts. They are preceded by large-scale preparation and data collection. This will allow us to more effectively monitor the situation and make adjustments to activities, and to discipline colleagues on the ground, – emphasized Gennady Sabinich, First Deputy Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee. – In addition, district executive committee chairmen will have to report quarterly at the regional executive committee level on the results in the agro-industrial complex. Unfortunately, some of them see the future of their territories in tourism development, not agriculture. I disagree: attracting tourists is a promising idea, but today the focus should be on soil cultivation and ensuring the food security of the Vitebsk region.
As part of the event, the progress of equipment preparation for spring field work, existing difficulties, and ways to solve them were analyzed. Attention was paid to the provision of farms with seeds of grain, leguminous crops, and grasses, as well as plant protection products. The activities of mechanized detachments, the hauling of organic matter, and the application of potash fertilizers were discussed. The participants of the collegium also discussed the results of the livestock industry's work in January, visited the mechanical yard of SUP "Severny", the competence center "Diagnostics, Operation, Repair and Maintenance of Energy-Saturated Tractors", and the laboratory for maintenance and repair of energy-saturated tractors and trucks of the Gorodok Agricultural Technical College. A number of critical remarks were made, which need to be eliminated in the shortest possible time.
– The result largely depends on people, their professionalism, discipline, and dedication. The role of farm managers and district agricultural departments is also important. They must create the necessary drive among colleagues, motivate them for new achievements, and the search for non-standard solutions, – emphasized Gennady Sabinich. – In the Vitebsk region, it has always been difficult for farmers to fulfill the set tasks, but they managed. The secret is that our predecessors, despite the difficulties, acted, rather than looked for reasons and explanations why they were not succeeding. I call on the current generation of rural workers to do the same. Unfortunately, not everyone listens. This is where problems arise, including with the timely preparation of equipment and seeds for sowing, and with livestock weight gain and milk yield. There is still time, I hope the mistakes will be taken into account and corrected.