The Minister of Agriculture and Food of Belarus visited agricultural enterprises based at JSC Vitebsk Meat Packing Plant
The head of the department visited the livestock facilities of the structure in Beshenkovichi, Senno, Liozno, and Vitebsk districts and familiarized himself with the progress of their construction and reconstruction. At SUP "Sovkhoz im. Masherova" in Senno district, a new MTP for 400 heads is not yet operating at full capacity. According to the director of the agricultural enterprise Sergey Lityago, 2.6 million rubles were spent on the construction of the first phase. Currently, 290 heads of cattle are kept in two rooms of the farm, including 136 dairy cows. The average daily milk yield per cow is 24 liters (15.9 liters for the entire farm). To complete the construction, another 1.5 million rubles are needed.
Near the agro-town of Pushki in Liozno district, a modern breeder for 5 thousand sows with a feed mill has been under construction since 2018, which actually lays the future of pig farming of the agro-industrial association for 20 years to come. The commissioning of the complex is planned for this autumn. When the breeder reaches full capacity, 138 thousand piglets weighing 30 kg will be supplied annually to the fattening grounds.
As is known, based on the Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus of February 25, 2020, No. 70 "On the Development of the Vitebsk Region Agro-Industrial Complex," seven agro-industrial associations were created, uniting agricultural producers and processors. According to Ivan Krupko, the document, by deferring debt obligations, is intended to give new impetus to agricultural enterprises. The task is to increase the commodity production of crop and livestock farming. This will allow for the utilization of processing enterprises' capacities and ultimately benefit the economy: it will ensure all current payments and, over time, create the possibility of repaying accounts payable, which are deferred under Decree No. 70. The Minister noted that there is a good harvest of winter crops in the fields. It is necessary to promptly complete the harvesting of first-cut grasses to provide livestock with quality feed.
In a conversation with journalists, the Deputy Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee, Boris Efremov, noted that the achievement of the goals outlined in the document should be pursued through adherence to technologies for livestock maintenance and crop production, and modernization of livestock facilities. Over the next two years, 250 farms belonging to the agro-industrial associations will be reconstructed. Cost estimates have been prepared for 168 buildings, and 80 premises are already under renovation. Boris Efremov expressed confidence that through interaction with the republican department, agricultural enterprises within the agro-industrial associations will be reformatted in the coming years, and a clear structure from field and farm to counter will be established. Moreover, we have someone to emulate – it is the "Vitebsk Broiler Poultry Farm," which is expanding its land, increasing its cattle population, and carrying out modernization. In particular, a robotic poultry slaughter shop will soon be opened there. It is precisely this model of management and production that is being targeted in the Vitebsk region.