Tolochnoye gardeners promise residents of the Vitebsk region to extend Apple Spas until March

August 19, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. The Tolochin Cannery promises residents of the Vitebsk region to extend the Apple Spas until March by supplying local trade with apples from its own garden, the enterprise's director Anatoly Anyukhovsky told a BELTA correspondent. Despite the fact that the Tolochin garden has not yet entered the stage of industrial fruiting, the harvest of this year, which is not the most favorable for gardeners, is projected to be at last year's level - about 500 tons. Thanks to a modern fruit storage facility using controlled atmosphere technology, apples weighing up to 2.4 thousand tons can be stored until the next harvest without losing their consumer properties. Tolochin gardeners mastered new working methods together with scientists from the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. About Br10 billion was allocated for the construction of the facility in accordance with the state program for the development of fruit growing for 2006-2010. As Anatoly Anyukhovsky noted, Tolochin apples first entered the region's trade network last year and were in high demand. In terms of taste, they were not inferior to imported products, were ecologically clean, and cheaper than Polish and Dutch apples. This year, not only domestic trade but also Russian fruit and vegetable sellers have expressed interest in Tolochin apples. The garden at the cannery was established in 2005. Its area is over 500 hectares and will be increased to 650 hectares in the coming years. In addition to apple trees, red and black currants, gooseberries, and aronia are planted here. The enterprise has invested about Br18 billion in the development of fruit growing, including the establishment of the garden, the construction of the storage facility, and the purchase of special equipment. -0-