The readiness of fodder harvesting machinery was discussed at a republican meeting in Vitebsk
Representatives from all regions, leading agricultural machinery manufacturers and their technical centers gathered at the seminar, held at the Vitebsk Motor Repair Plant. They spoke about the current situation in the regions and the level of machinery readiness for the fodder harvesting campaign. "The sowing of spring crops is nearing completion in the republic, and we are smoothly transitioning to fodder production. Some farms have already started harvesting winter crops for green fodder, and the immediate important task for farmers is the first mowing. We plan to produce the main volume of fodder from perennial grasses with it. To carry out the fodder harvesting campaign efficiently and on time, it is necessary, first of all, to take care of the machinery that will be involved in mowing," said Vladimir Grakun, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food of Belarus.
This year's late spring has kept the machinery in the machine yards of agricultural enterprises, so it is now important to take advantage of every favorable day, put the machinery to work for mowing, and harvest the grasses as quickly as possible. However, the condition of fodder harvesting combines and mowers in many farms remains unsatisfactory. More than 30% of them have been in operation for over 10 years, and worn-out equipment requires major repairs. "Complex machinery needs to be repaired at specialized enterprises and technical centers. Manufacturers are also ready to provide repair services. Joint work should yield results," noted Stanislav Karpovich, Head of the Main Department of Technical Progress and Energy, and State Supervision of the Technical Condition of Machinery and Equipment of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. He also reported that not a single region had met the set targets for the readiness of agricultural machinery for fodder production by May 1.
A representative of the Gomselmash holding stated that during the fodder harvesting campaign, the enterprise itself and its regional service centers will operate on an extended schedule to carry out all repair work within 24 hours. Repair teams will be active in each region, and service centers will have a sufficient stock of spare parts for the equipment of the Gomel manufacturer. Additionally, reserve grain and fodder harvesting machinery will be available to replace units that are sent for warranty repairs at the enterprise's service centers. Furthermore, spare parts for Gomselmash equipment will be available in the regions with deferred payment.
The issue of maintaining the technical fleet of the agro-industrial complex of the Vitebsk region is under the control of local authorities. The region has its specifics: the soil here is heavy and stony, which leads to rapid wear and tear of agricultural machinery produced by domestic manufacturers. It became necessary to find specific technical solutions. The Vitebsk Motor Repair Plant and Tiraspol Rayagropromservis produce machinery adapted to the challenging soil conditions of the Vitebsk region, which can be used on any soil. Capital repairs of worn-out combine harvesters are carried out at the Zapadnodvinsk Inter-district Agroservice. "We have checked the condition of the machinery at all enterprises in the region, and those that were worn out and could not be repaired locally by their own efforts have been removed and sent for capital repair. A new fodder harvesting combine costs approximately Br530 thousand, while repairs at the Zapadnodvinsk Inter-district Agroservice cost Br40-50 thousand. Essentially, enterprises will receive practically new machinery back, and at a 10 times lower cost. The regional executive committee is assisting the agro-industrial complex in this matter: about Br4 million has been allocated from the regional budget for the repair of fodder harvesting machinery. Capital repairs of four units of machinery will be carried out each month until the end of the year," shared Mikhail Pridibaylo, Deputy Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee's Committee for Agriculture and Foodstuffs.
