Forestries of the Vitebsk region harvested about 6 tons of birch sap
Vitebsk region has not yet fully welcomed a full spring, despite the beginning of April on the calendar. Birch sap collection has only started in the southern districts of the region. Forest workers have already harvested about 6 tons of this environmentally friendly product, of which 3.6 tons have been sold to the public. "Mass sap harvesting will begin when the average air temperature during the day and night fluctuates between three and six degrees Celsius. For now, birch sap harvesting is being done on a spot basis. The main consumer we are targeting is the population of the region, as there are only two enterprises processing this product left in our region - the Tolochin Cannery and the 'Teplichny' branch of RUP 'Vitebskenergo'. They have already submitted applications for the supply of 20 tons of sap each," said Dmitry Shvydrik, an engineer at the production and sales department of Vitebsk GPKHO.
Upon requests from some enterprises or residents of the region, birch sap is sold in special containers - 5-liter and 6-liter canisters. Forestry enterprises have already purchased about 7,000 of these containers, which amounts to about 35 tons.
Dmitry Shvydrik also noted that residents of the region can purchase birch sap directly at forestry units and literally from the felling site, freshly collected. Self-pickup can save money, costing an average of 39 kopecks per liter, while at the product sales points, it will be about 10 kopecks more expensive, especially if you bring your own container.
In 2021, forestry enterprises of the Vitebsk region sold about 355 tons of birch sap, including over 304 tons to the public and more than 50 tons to enterprises. Almost 21 tons of sap were also sold in 5- and 6-liter containers for retail outlets.