In the Vitebsk region, they plan to reduce the areas of Sosnowsky's hogweed by almost a quarter in 2021
The plant was once widely distributed in the Vitebsk region as an agricultural fodder crop. The consequences of this spread of hogweed have become apparent in the last decade. "This year, we plan to reduce the growing areas of this plant aggressor by 20-25%. Approximately Br1.2 million has been allocated from local budgets for these purposes. Herbicides are currently available in the districts to enable their application at the initial stage of hogweed appearance," noted Viktor Galanov.
The committee chairman added that in the spring of 2020, about 4,000 hectares were affected by Sosnowsky's hogweed. By autumn, the invasive plant had been eradicated on more than 440 hectares. "Local budgets allocated over Br1.3 million for controlling the spread of Sosnowsky's hogweed, which is 2.5 times more than in 2019. The total amount of funds allocated, including the land users' own funds, amounted to over Br1.7 million," emphasized Viktor Galanov.
This problem has most significantly affected the Ushachi, Vitebsk, Gorodok, Braslav, Miory, Senno, and Tolochin districts. In the Chashniki district, it was possible to almost completely get rid of the invasive plant.
In 2020, after a mild winter, Sosnowsky's hogweed appeared in the region's fields as early as April. This year, the committee will monitor the situation and begin combating the dangerous plant at its initial growth stage. Agricultural land will be the primary focus of the district inspectorates for natural resources and environmental protection. "The insidious nature of hogweed is that it can appear in areas where it hasn't been for 5-6 years. Therefore, we will also monitor the districts where almost complete eradication of the green aggressor was achieved last year," reported Viktor Galanov.