The Lepel crew was the first in the Vitebsk region to thresh a thousand tons of grain
Therefore, on Monday afternoon, the rye field of 80 hectares in the Luchino tract, which was partially threshed, was crowded. The youth combine crew was honored by the region and district activists, representatives of the trade union and the BRSM. An improvised concert stage was set up among the straw bales. Songs praising hardworking people and the native Lepel region were heard. The radiant smiles of the heroes of the celebration – 28-year-old Leonid Alekseenko and 23-year-old Sergey Kolbasov – matched the generous August sun.
– It is pleasant to realize that we are the first in the region in the harvest, and the celebration is held for us. We will try not to slow down the pace further. If the weather permits, we work until one in the morning. Who knows, maybe you will visit us again, – said the senior combine operator of the crew with a slight challenge, hinting that the second thousand might also be within their reach.
Leonid Alekseenko is a young, ambitious, and already experienced grain grower who has repeatedly proven his ability to work. This is his fifth harvest season, and he has been with the farm for nine years. In 2018, he also became the first to reach a thousand tons during the harvest. In total, he threshed 4600 tons of grain on a New Holland combine that season. This year's harvest is special for Leonid, as he recently had his third child, and the young father is striving for the future of his children.
A significant harvest is also planned for this fruitful year. They are threshing 65 centners per hectare from the hybrid rye field. The average yield for the farm is 38 centners per hectare.
In "Zaozerie," 6 KZS-1218 "Polesie" and one New Holland combine harvesters are involved in the harvest. The harvest started on July 26 with the harvesting of colza and winter rapeseed. A total of 4300 hectares of grain and leguminous crops, 413 hectares of spring rapeseed (719 hectares of winter rapeseed have already been harvested) need to be harvested.
The young grain growers had already produced the first thousand tons of grain by lunchtime on August 1. On the day of the celebration, they had already threshed 1300 tons of grain, over 400 tons of rapeseed, and 83 tons of colza.
The guys from Lepel set a good pace for the 67 youth crews of the region and all the grain growers who are currently working on the harvest.
– It won't be easy to maintain the victory, as many agro-industrial associations have a good harvest, and some fields can yield a hundred centners. To be among the leaders, you need to seize every minute, – emphasized the Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee Nikolai Sherstnev and compared the competitive spirit among grain growers, in plain language, to a "fight" for victory.
Just last week, the harvesting of cruciferous crops was completed, noted Nikolai Nikolaevich. Not even a few days have passed, and the first thousand-plus harvester of grain crops appeared in Vitebsk region. This is pleasing, which means there is a harvest, and combine operators have the opportunity to earn well.
The head of the region urged the participants of the harvest to work within tight deadlines.
– Even with favorable weather, if we harvest 4% of the area daily (as of August 3, 20% of grain crops had been threshed in the region), it will take at least 20 days. These are optimal terms to avoid extending into September and to harvest the entire crop without losses. Therefore, we must cherish every minute and withstand the intense race in the fight for the harvest, – said Nikolai Sherstnev and wished the grain growers strength, patience, endurance, and that the equipment would not fail.
Vitebsk region has great potential, especially in crop production, noted the Assistant to the President of the Republic of Belarus – Inspector for Vitebsk Region Anatoly Linevich. He is confident that the grain growers will successfully cope with the harvest, as a proper management system has been established, a goal has been set, and all that remains is to move forward.
On this day, the young crop farmers received cash bonuses from the management of the parent enterprise, the district, and the regional committee of the agro-industrial complex trade union (according to the competition terms), gifts from the head of the region (a television and a food processor), a gift certificate presented by Gennady Egorov, head of the main department of ideological work and youth affairs of the regional executive committee, juicers from BRSM, and other bonuses.
After such a warm welcome and generous gifts, the young combine operators will work with even greater dedication.