REPORT: Nikolai Sherstnev inspected the harvest progress in the Vitebsk region by helicopter
The northernmost region of Belarus has actively joined the harvest campaign in the country. Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee Nikolai Sherstnev assessed the progress of the harvest, for which serious preparation began long before its start, and what crops the grain growers are harvesting, from a helicopter. Correspondents of BelTA also joined the governor on an aerial inspection.
The final pre-launch preparation involved discussing the flight route with Valerian Vysotsky, head of the Vitebsk DOSAAF aeroclub. Several districts of the region immediately came under close scrutiny: Vitebsk, Liozno, Dubrovno, and Orsha.
Everything is visible from above: how the grain fields are turning golden, where and how much harvesting equipment is deployed, how plowing for future crops is progressing, fodder harvesting and silage trench filling, and the condition of the farms' mechanical yards. Storks are acting as unofficial "chief agronomists" on many fields, walking around with a proprietorial air.
The picturesque pattern is formed by straw and silage bales scattered across the fields. Villagers figuratively call the rolls packed in stretch film "zephyrs." The rich, even green of the corn is pleasing to the eye. Water glints in places in the clayey lowlands of the fields, reminding of recent downpours.
Special attention during the flyover is given to the main granary of the Vitebsk region - the Orsha district. The first stop is made between Alexandria and Bolbasovo on the field of the RUP "Ustye" of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. We approach the crew of the "Polesie GS-12" combine harvester. "Familiar faces!" - Nikolai Sherstnev greets the senior combine operator, who clearly did not expect such a meeting. The acquaintance between the region's head and a simple mechanic is easily explained: Oleg Kiselev is an experienced professional in his field, with about 15
On a barley field of 120 hectares, Oleg Kiselev and his assistant Alexander Shpak have been harvesting for several days. "There is a harvest, the main thing is to manage to gather it. If only the weather holds," he notes, glancing towards the machine. The desire to return to work quickly is understandable: every minute of working time is valuable for machine operators - and this is the whole day from dew to dew. Their performance affects both their wages and the common loaf gathered by joint efforts.
Fyodor Botyanovsky, the first deputy director of the enterprise, spoke in more detail about the work in the fields of "Ustye". The total area of the farm is 2.8 thousand hectares. Harvesting is carried out using Gomselmash equipment. The expected gross grain yield in "Ustye" is about 12 thousand tons with an average yield of about 50 centners per hectare. The weather has made its adjustments. For example, on this field, barley was expected to yield around 60 centners per hectare, but so far the threshed amount is slightly lower - 42 centners per hectare. "This is not the best, but not the worst result either, especially since the work here has just begun. We'll see what happens next," the interlocutor remarks.
About 40 machine operators work at the agricultural enterprise, more than 30 of them are involved in harvesting, the rest are plowing the soil for winter crops and preparing feed. Daily wages, depending on the experience and seniority of the machine operators, currently reach Br70-100. During the harvest season, there is an opportunity to earn Br2-3 thousand. However, not everything is so simple: the amount threshed and the quality of harvesting affect labor costs, and the chief agronomist closely monitors this. They plan to complete the harvest here by August 26. "It will be my birthday present," Fyodor Botyanovsky smiles.
The next helicopter landing was also in the Orsha district - on the field of the selection and hybrid center "Zadneprovsky". He was met by the General Director of the Orsha Food Processing Plant, Sergey Gerasimets. He immediately reported to the chairman of the regional executive committee on the main aspects of the harvest for the Orsha integrated structure of the Vitebskmyasomolprom concern, the parent enterprise of which is the Orsha FPP. The director of the "Zadneprovsky" center, Igor Vasilenko, and the Deputy General Director for Ideological, Personnel and Legal Work of the Orsha integrated structure of the Vitebskmyasomolprom concern, Sergey Araev, actively joined the conversation.
In "Zadneprovsky", more than 5.5% of the areas have been harvested. All equipment is working in the fields. The estimated time for harvesting, weather permitting, is about 20 days, five of which have already passed. Work is currently being carried out only during daylight hours, as the grain swells at night due to moisture. In general, the Orsha integrated structure plans to exceed last year's grain yield of 75 thousand tons and collect 100-120 thousand tons (taking into account new agricultural lands). Transport from Orsha enterprises is involved in grain transportation, and only experienced machine operators are in the field.
"The work is hard, but honorable. It is evident that when the work goes smoothly, people get satisfaction from it. They don't need to be pushed – these are practitioners, professionals in their field," says Sergey Araev. "Sometimes we have to slow them down, make them eat on time, although some try to brush it off, saying that while the weather holds, the work is urgent."
The result depends on teamwork, so, since we are talking about food, the cooks listen to the preferences of the machine operators. The capabilities of the "Zadneprovsky" canteen allow for this, so the machine operators always have fresh and hot food. "Maybe it's not like in a restaurant, but it's always tasty. Not everyone eats like this at home," adds Igor.
A complex issue for the enterprise is staffing shortages. This year, 12 young specialists joined the company. Future employees were scouted during their internships. Management tries to retain its new hires by all means possible. "We try to provide housing, offer good salaries, and even help them get married, as family is the main anchor," says Sergey Araev.
Nikolay Shershnev's attention is focused not only on harvest-related issues. Fodder preparation is a serious matter, with its emphasis slightly shifted due to the start of the harvest. In "Zadneprovsky," a new trench with a capacity of 3,000 tons was built this year to provide feed for livestock. Two more trenches, each with a capacity of 2,500 tons, will be ready by autumn and are planned for storing corn. In total, nine silage trenches with a combined capacity of 10,000 tons have already been completed. Additionally, active fodder preparation in stretch film is underway. "The livestock will be well-fed for the winter with a surplus, and we will even be able to help our neighbors if necessary," assures Igor Vasilenko.
Summarizing the aerial inspection, Nikolay Shershnev noted that the harvest in the Vitebsk region has just begun to enter its technological rhythm, but the work started significantly ahead of last year's schedule. "There is grain in the fields. However, the harvest has not yet reached its full capacity, and we have work to do with the managers and specialists of the enterprises. The weather has stabilized, and we need to use it to the maximum, to do everything to harvest the crops on time. We still have reserves for this today. This is evident," stated the chairman of the regional executive committee.
Olga BOCHEVA. Photos by Alexander KHITROV. BELTA.
