Vitebsk region forestry enterprises plan to collect more than 20 tons of chokeberries

September 20, Vitebsk /Olga Bogacheva - BELTA/. Vitebsk region forestry enterprises plan to harvest a good crop of chokeberries this autumn, Oleg Gritskevich, lead engineer for secondary forest use and auxiliary agriculture of the Vitebsk Regional Production Forestry Association (PLHO), told a BELTA correspondent.

Chokeberry plantations have been established in Begomlsky, Lepelsky, Lioznensky, Surazhsky, Gluboksky (0.5 ha each) and Orshansky (3 ha) forestry enterprises. 14 tons of berries from 7 ha have already been harvested. About 10 more tons are expected from the remaining areas. At the same time, the revenue from the harvested crop is expected by the forestry enterprises to be around Br70 million. The berry harvest is planned to be completed by September 25.

The chokeberry harvest is handed over by the forestry enterprises to the region's canning and winemaking plants. "The products are in demand, so in subsequent years it is planned to establish new plantations in forestry enterprises that have not yet been involved in cultivating this shrub," noted Oleg Gritskevich.

In addition to chokeberries, the region's forestry enterprises are also engaged in growing other crops. For example, Bogushevsky forestry enterprise harvested 70 kg of strawberries this summer, which were sold to the public. Lioznensky and Gluboksky forestry enterprises are drying 500 kg of rose hips each for delivery to the region's wineries. The first harvest of oyster mushrooms was collected this year by Lepelsky, Surazhsky and Lioznensky forestry enterprises.-0-