"Test-tube potatoes" are being tested in a field near Vitebsk
The development of vegetable growing was discussed at the annual Eurasian Vegetable Growers Forum in Minsk.
Foreign experts highly praised the work of agrarians, with special compliments awarded to breeders and agricultural machinery manufacturers."Test-tube potatoes" are not afraid of viruses, and the yield is record-breaking. 15 experimental varieties developed at the National Academy of Sciences are being tested in a field near Vitebsk. From here, elite seed potatoes are supplied to farms throughout the country.
Ivan Boris, Director of the Vitebsk Zonal Institute of Agriculture of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus:
"First of all, we need to supply our producers with high-quality, virus-free potatoes, specifically to the agricultural producers of the Vitebsk region, for further propagation and further sale, for example, to Russia."The successes of selection are yielding tangible results. Farmers have already started harvesting the new crop. This year, 48 thousand hectares have been allocated for the "second bread". So far, a tenth has been harvested, but the average yield is projected to be a centner higher than in 2014.
The wonders of selection have also touched other strategic crops, such as cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, and beets. In four years, Belarus has increased its vegetable production by a third, to 570 thousand tons last year. At the same time, the focus is on technology: areas are shrinking, but yields are increasing manifold. And those who taught how to get maximum centners per hectare are now coming themselves to adopt the experience.
Anna Buts, Deputy Director of the Department of Agro-Industrial Policy of the Eurasian Economic Commission:
"Belarus has high indicators in grain production, vegetable growing, technical support, and greenhouse production development. Processing is also well-developed. Therefore, there is something to learn from."Technology also brings profit. A third of Belarusian vegetables are exported, and demand is colossal. For example, the EAEU annually purchases vegetables worth $3.5 billion from abroad. Therefore, import substitution is the main topic of the Eurasian Vegetable Growers Forum, which was held in Minsk. Among the participants are scientists from Belarus, Russia, and Kazakhstan. Newest varieties and hybrids are also presented here. However, there is particular interest in domestic machinery, which has long been in high demand.
Semyon Yagovdik, Technical Director of the "Tekhmash" enterprise (Lida):
"For example, like this planter for planting cabbage and other crops. It can plant two rows for small farmers, four rows for medium-sized ones, and six rows for large ones. That is, we produce according to the needs of our farmers."The needs of greenhouse vegetable growers are even more "high-tech." The greenhouse uses only the most modern technologies, from drip irrigation to climate control. A Dutch tomato variety adapted to Belarusian soil generates an annual revenue of over a billion rubles. This is because such an environmentally friendly product is a great rarity on the market.
Maria Belyavskaya, Chief Technologist, admits that greenhouse farming needs to be further developed, as it is the foundation of the country's vegetable security. Import substitution should also apply to seeds, which will then make Belarusian cucumbers and tomatoes cheaper and displace foreign counterparts.
Maria Belyavskaya, Acting Chief Technologist of the greenhouse facility at the agricultural enterprise "Rassvet named after K.P. Orlovsky":
"We buy seeds from Holland, mineral wool from Poland, cubes from Poland, and the irrigation system from Israel. The profitability is only 2%. This is, of course, money for the farm. Everything is imported, which is why it is expensive."However, domestic engineers are already working on innovative products and promise to surprise with units in 2016 that are not only on par with their counterparts but also significantly cheaper. After all, any agricultural producer has a simple but economically beneficial aspiration: for the harvest to be 100% their own.