There is huge economic potential in private subsidiary farms - A. Kosinets

June 10, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. Huge economic potential is embedded in personal subsidiary plots. This was stated today at a regular session of the Vitebsk Regional Council of Deputies by the chairman of the regional executive committee, Alexander Kosinets, a BELTA correspondent reports. "A personal subsidiary plot is an economic concept, a source of commodity and monetary mass," Alexander Kosinets said. However, for farming to be profitable for people, it is necessary to create conditions and correct miscalculations. Alexander Kosinets considers the construction of houses without outbuildings to be one of the major mistakes. "It's time to stop building 'birdhouses' without basements, without haylofts and with sheds of 3x4 m, which are not suitable for keeping livestock. In rural areas, it is necessary to build homesteads so that a person feels like a master and raises his children with this feeling," he added. The governor noted with regret that modern rural children do not know how to mow or milk cows. "The development of large-scale production is a priority, and all developed countries are following this path, however, the national mentality implies farming the land, and we will support this aspiration in every way," Alexander Kosinets emphasized. He considers it unacceptable for farm managers or village council chairmen to refuse people feed for their animals or land cultivation. The governor also considers it necessary to provide assistance in running personal subsidiary plots to owners of private houses within city limits and summer residents. The organization of seed trade, provision of fertilizers and feed, assistance in purchasing young livestock and the organization of purchasing surplus products – all this should be at the center of attention of district leaders, agricultural enterprises, and local council deputies. Almost 42% of the region's rural population consider state support for the development of personal subsidiary plots to be sufficient, while the same number of respondents found it difficult to give their assessment. According to Alexander Kosinets, this indicates that people are poorly informed about support measures. "Propaganda for running personal subsidiary plots is needed, strong farmers should be advertised, and they can fully claim the title of 'Person of the Year of the Vitebsk Region'," the governor believes. According to the Committee for Agriculture and Food of the Regional Executive Committee, in the Vitebsk region, the number of personal subsidiary plots has decreased by 52.6 thousand since 1995. By the beginning of 2010, personal subsidiary plots accounted for one-third of the cattle population compared to 1995, and the pig population has halved. -0-