The sown areas of all agricultural crops in the Vitebsk region will be increased
"This year, we intend to increase almost all sown areas for all agricultural crops. In general, we should increase by about 15-18% quantitatively," said the head of the region. - "We plan to increase the area of corn by about 25% this year, and expand the acreage of grain crops (winter and spring). We need to look at fodder crops, approach them very seriously, because, as a rule, the region leads in fodder harvesting during the summer months, and as soon as corn harvesting begins, it falls back. It is clear why - we are not getting enough corn, which means its acreage also needs to be increased."
In addition, the region intends to achieve an improvement in qualitative indicators. "Yields should be higher, protective measures should work. We are falling short due to the incompetent organization of crop care – this must be corrected. Thus, as a whole, we should achieve higher yields and a greater volume of our indicators," emphasized the chairman of the regional executive committee.
Regarding the condition of winter grains, Nikolai Sherstnev noted that the wintering is currently satisfactory, but everything depends on how the spring turns out. "The weather is a concern, as the plants have not fully entered winter, they are in an anabiotic state, and consequently, nutrients are being consumed. If the spring is prolonged, there may be serious problems associated with the death of winter grains and the need to re-sow areas with spring crops," added the governor.
Nikolai Sherstnev also emphasized the significance of today's event. "This year, we decided to gather heads of districts and large agricultural enterprises to establish a unified theory and decide how to implement it. Of course, there are problems that remain relevant: a shortage of funds, issues with equipment preparation, and a lack of mineral fertilizers. But this is life. Nevertheless, the assigned plans must be implemented, so the main idea is to discuss, under the current conditions, how we will increase production – primarily agricultural production and secondarily livestock production. At the same time, we must remember how we will reduce its cost and achieve economic efficiency," the region's head noted.
"Our task is to synchronize our plans, as sowing is just around the corner. We have literally one month left to prepare and implement everything planned," the governor concluded.
During the round table, Nikolai Sherstnev drew the participants' special attention to the need for maximum utilization of new wide-span machinery, rational consumption of fuel resources, strict adherence to technological discipline, and sowing deadlines. "You need to live in the field for two weeks, from the chairman of the district executive committee to the lowest-level specialist, if you want to see results," he stressed.
The Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee noted that as of February 12, the readiness of tractors in the region is 88%, including energy-intensive ones – 79%. At the same time, the situation varies significantly across districts and types of machinery, so district heads must work seriously on this issue.