The area of Sosnowsky's hogweed in the Vitebsk region increased by almost a third in 2018
The area of Sosnowsky hogweed growth in the Vitebsk region in 2018 increased by almost 700 hectares, or by a third. This was announced by the Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Committee for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, Viktor Galanov, at a joint meeting of the presidium of the regional Council of Deputies and the regional executive committee.
According to him, this figure was obtained as a result of a detailed analysis of areas and scientific data. "This year, we will thoroughly study the effectiveness of the measures taken in 2018, which will allow us to adjust our work and more effectively utilize available resources," emphasized Viktor Galanov. The head of the department noted that this spring, work will need to be carried out in the region on the entire area of hogweed growth: approximately 3 thousand hectares need to be treated. In the third quarter, work will be repeated on an area of 1.3 thousand hectares. The financial resources required for these purposes amount to Br1.4 million. Local budgets provide for the allocation of Br545.4 thousand for measures in the territory of eight districts. The Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, Nikolai Sherstnev, emphasized the need for a comprehensive approach to organizing work to combat hogweed and stressed that it should be carried out systematically, with responsibility assigned to the Chairman of the Regional Committee for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection. In his opinion, this work failed last year: equipment was engaged late, and herbicides were not deployed on time. As a result, the plant managed to produce seeds, which nullified all the effectiveness of the measures. "This year, we need to work promptly, two or three times, to remove the seed heads and prevent it from spreading," emphasized the governor.