Vitebsk forestry enterprises plan to collect about 3 tons of pine seeds to supply the region for 5 years
In the current season, forestry institutions of the republic plan to collect 660 tons of spruce cones for seed material. 150 tons of them are to be collected by the GLLU "Orshansky Leskhoz", as the majority of the local forests are spruce. Over the past two years, the forestry enterprise has established about 1.5 thousand hectares of this crop. The area requiring reforestation next year reaches a thousand hectares. This is why the Orshansky Leskhoz approaches the collection of cones and the production of high-quality seed material with particular seriousness. Spruce fruits abundantly approximately once every four years. All forestries are involved in the collection of seed material.
— We collect about 1.5 tons of cones per day, — said the chief forester of the Orshansky Leskhoz, Denis Zhevnyak. — We have already sent more than 50 tons for processing.
The seed plantation of the Orshansky Leskhoz is quite large – 5 hectares. Improved seedlings are obtained from the harvest collected here. The cost of one kilogram of cones is about 30 thousand rubles.
– This includes collection, delivery, drying, de-winging of seeds, and other expenses, — says Denis Mikhailovich, — but these costs will allow us to provide ourselves with seeds and planting material for 5 years in advance.
To date, approximately 400 kg of pine seeds and 140 tons of spruce cones have been harvested. A total of about 3 tons of seeds are planned to be collected, which will supply the Vitebsk region for 5 years, and there will also be an opportunity to sell part of the produce. Begomlsky, Lepelsky, and Gluboksky forestry enterprises intend to sell spruce seeds to Sweden at 400 euros per 1 kg. In Begoml, the earned funds will be used to purchase new Polish equipment – a de-winging machine and a separator, while Gluboksky will invest the profit in the re-equipment of the sawmill workshop.
Nadezhda Fondarenko, "Vitebskiye vesti"