Vitebsk region forestry enterprises harvested the first batch of birch sap

March 28, Vitebsk / Olga Bogacheva - BELTA /. The first batch of birch sap has been harvested by the forestry enterprises of the Vitebsk region, Oleg Gritskevich, leading engineer for auxiliary forest use and subsidiary agriculture of the Vitebsk Regional Production Forestry Association (PLHO), told a BELTA correspondent. Favorable weather conditions established last week allowed the Glubokskoye and Postavy forestry enterprises to be the first in the region's PLHO system to start harvesting birch sap. Their first batch of the drink, weighing about 7 tons, has been sent to OAO "Kuptsov" (formerly Glubokoye Canning Plant). This spring, the forestry enterprises of the region will supply a total of 1.9 thousand tons of the drink to the processing enterprises of the Vitebsk Regional Consumer Union and the Vitebsk Food Industry Production Association. The total harvest volume will be 2.5 thousand tons, which is exactly how much sap was collected last year with a plan of 1.8 thousand tons. Under already concluded contracts, 600 tons of sap will be shipped to OAO "Savushkin Product", Borisov Canning Plant, and Minsk Non-alcoholic Beverage Plant. The forestry enterprises plan to sell 50 tons of the drink to the public. The cost per liter will be Br780. In addition, Begomlsky Forestry Enterprise has taken the initiative to organize a birch sap sales point on the Vitebsk-Minsk highway. Currently, this issue is being worked out with the participation of sanitary and epidemiological service specialists, Oleg Gritskevich clarified. In addition, residents of the region can harvest the spring drink themselves by contacting local forestry enterprises or forestries. Forest guards will provide instructions to those wishing to do so and will designate a place for tapping birch trees. For unauthorized tapping of trees, the fine for individuals ranges from 4 to 35 base units, and for legal entities - up to 500 base units (currently, the base unit is Br35 thousand, and from April 1, it will increase to Br100 thousand). -0-