In the Vitebsk region, one-third of the early spring grain and leguminous crops have been sown
Agrarians of the country's northernmost region, which traditionally starts its active sowing campaign later due to climatic conditions, have already sown about 40 thousand hectares of early spring grain and leguminous crops. This is approximately one-third of the planned area, although the total sown area, including rapeseed and other crops, is 317 thousand hectares.
Dmitry Gaponenko, machine operator.
— Winter rapeseed was sown here. Unfortunately, it did not survive the winter – it was completely destroyed by frost. We had to make a quick decision and re-sow without delay. Fortunately, the soil did not require much preparation. Unfortunately, two-thirds of all the crops of this type met a similar fate. In total, over 200 hectares of crops were lost.
Well, the agrarians of the Vitebsk region are no strangers to unpleasant surprises; it is a zone of risky farming, after all. Therefore, there is always a plan B. Now, there are chances to get a good harvest of spring wheat instead of winter rapeseed.
The Olgovtsy will have to sow over 1.1 thousand hectares of grain and leguminous crops this spring. Including the lost rapeseed – more than 1.3 thousand hectares.
— As of yesterday, we have completed about 250 hectares, — says the head of the cooperative. — Despite the warm weather, we are still forced to carry out the work selectively. We monitor the readiness of the fields daily, but it is still too early to deploy machinery on many of them.
Machine operators look hopefully at the sky. For Dmitry Gaponenko, who is drawing neat micro-strips across the field with a seeder before our eyes, this is his fifth season.
— We started working in the fields back in late March! — emphasizes the crop grower. — We managed to sow a couple of dry fields, and then it started raining. We had to stop… After a week's break, we found another suitable plot. Nothing, we'll manage, because in any case, the sowing campaign started earlier than usual this year, so we'll have time for everything.
— A regular season, — the interlocutor is laconic. — The main thing is to keep your finger on the pulse. Agronomists inspect the fields daily. As soon as they give the signal of readiness – we are there.
For Mikhail Vladimirovich, sowing will not end soon. After grains and legumes, vegetables will follow – and he is the main person in the farm for carrots and beets.
— This year we will sow about ten hectares of carrots and beets, about 15 hectares of cabbage, — lists Nikolay Leoshko. — We also have a variety testing plot where we test various crops and varieties. There we have broccoli, cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, pumpkins, and even watermelons. If we count in total, vegetables will occupy more than 40 hectares. A large part of them will go to Vitebsk residents' tables, as well as for storage for the off-season. We are increasing corn areas by 100 hectares this year – to strengthen the feed base. The livestock population is almost 5 thousand head of cattle, including almost 1.4 thousand cows.
…Mikhail Vladimirovich is in a hurry and hastily says goodbye. Time does not wait: for him, after sowing comes fodder harvesting. After all, in the arsenal of units assigned to the machine operator, besides the seeder, there is a baler, a mineral fertilizer spreader, a rake, and other trailed equipment. In a word, a versatile specialist. Agriculture today relies on such people.
— Are there any staffing problems, how does the proximity of the farm to the regional center affect this? — I ask the manager.
— Undoubtedly, some outflow exists, — Nikolay Nikolaevich does not hide. — But today we also have advantages. For example, a decent salary level. The average monthly earnings for the year for a good tractor driver or milkmaid are about 1.5 thousand rubles. During the field work season, last year a machine operator could earn 2.5–3 thousand rubles a month. So the main thing is not to be lazy.
— We are inspecting the farms of the district according to the schedule, — Vasily Petrovich explains. — The goal is methodological assistance, ensuring the quality of work and labor safety. Checking the serviceability of equipment, the correctness of waybill documentation, the availability of first-aid kits, fire extinguishers, personal protective equipment, and catering organization — the list of issues under our control is extensive. We monitor the situation not only in the fields but also in workshops, mineral fertilizer storage sites, and other facilities. So far, no violations have been found in this farm; the organization of labor is at a decent level.
Ilya Novitsky, Alesya Tsygankova, and Vasily Goncharov, the mobile group of the Vitebsk District Executive Committee for monitoring field work.
In just 10-15 minutes, the inspected tractors are off again: they need to catch the weather while it favors the farmers.
— Today, about 30 people are working in the field, — explains the head of the farm. — Along with sowing, we are actively engaged in soil preparation, applying organic fertilizers, carrying out the second top dressing of winter crops, and harrowing perennial grasses.
…A group of young people appears at the edge of the neighboring field. These are students from the Veterinary Academy who have arrived to help "Olgovsky." The young men and women are picking stones from the already sown areas — to protect the combine harvesters, which will come here in three to four months for the fresh harvest, from breakdowns.
— As always, we have focused on winter crops again, — Nikolai Leoshko reveals the secrets of the crop production strategy. — Practice in recent years shows that they yield the best harvest. Last year, for example, thanks to winter crops alone, we achieved 34 centners per hectare. And the spring crops were half destroyed by drought... So, last autumn, we have already created a non-plThe groundwork has been laid – nearly 1.3 thousand hectares of winter crops are currently gaining strength. I hope they won't let us down in this year's harvest season either.
Dmitry Gaponenko, machine operator.
Wheat Instead of Rapeseed
A beautiful, even field near the village of Belynovichi, Vitebsk district. It looks as if someone has manually sorted every clod – the land is so well-cultivated. Nikolai Leoshko, Chairman of the Olgovskoye Production Cooperative, explains:— Winter rapeseed was sown here. Unfortunately, it did not survive the winter – it was completely destroyed by frost. We had to make a quick decision and re-sow without delay. Fortunately, the soil did not require much preparation. Unfortunately, two-thirds of all the crops of this type met a similar fate. In total, over 200 hectares of crops were lost.
Well, the agrarians of the Vitebsk region are no strangers to unpleasant surprises; it is a zone of risky farming, after all. Therefore, there is always a plan B. Now, there are chances to get a good harvest of spring wheat instead of winter rapeseed.
The Olgovtsy will have to sow over 1.1 thousand hectares of grain and leguminous crops this spring. Including the lost rapeseed – more than 1.3 thousand hectares.
— As of yesterday, we have completed about 250 hectares, — says the head of the cooperative. — Despite the warm weather, we are still forced to carry out the work selectively. We monitor the readiness of the fields daily, but it is still too early to deploy machinery on many of them.
Machine operators look hopefully at the sky. For Dmitry Gaponenko, who is drawing neat micro-strips across the field with a seeder before our eyes, this is his fifth season.
— We started working in the fields back in late March! — emphasizes the crop grower. — We managed to sow a couple of dry fields, and then it started raining. We had to stop… After a week's break, we found another suitable plot. Nothing, we'll manage, because in any case, the sowing campaign started earlier than usual this year, so we'll have time for everything.
Not by Bread Alone
Dmitry's colleague, Mikhail Baranov, shares the same opinion., whom the Chairman of the Production Cooperative introduces as one of the best machine operators. It's no joke – he has almost a quarter-century of grain farming experience behind him!— A regular season, — the interlocutor is laconic. — The main thing is to keep your finger on the pulse. Agronomists inspect the fields daily. As soon as they give the signal of readiness – we are there.
For Mikhail Vladimirovich, sowing will not end soon. After grains and legumes, vegetables will follow – and he is the main person in the farm for carrots and beets.
— This year we will sow about ten hectares of carrots and beets, about 15 hectares of cabbage, — lists Nikolay Leoshko. — We also have a variety testing plot where we test various crops and varieties. There we have broccoli, cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, pumpkins, and even watermelons. If we count in total, vegetables will occupy more than 40 hectares. A large part of them will go to Vitebsk residents' tables, as well as for storage for the off-season. We are increasing corn areas by 100 hectares this year – to strengthen the feed base. The livestock population is almost 5 thousand head of cattle, including almost 1.4 thousand cows.
…Mikhail Vladimirovich is in a hurry and hastily says goodbye. Time does not wait: for him, after sowing comes fodder harvesting. After all, in the arsenal of units assigned to the machine operator, besides the seeder, there is a baler, a mineral fertilizer spreader, a rake, and other trailed equipment. In a word, a versatile specialist. Agriculture today relies on such people.
— Are there any staffing problems, how does the proximity of the farm to the regional center affect this? — I ask the manager.
— Undoubtedly, some outflow exists, — Nikolay Nikolaevich does not hide. — But today we also have advantages. For example, a decent salary level. The average monthly earnings for the year for a good tractor driver or milkmaid are about 1.5 thousand rubles. During the field work season, last year a machine operator could earn 2.5–3 thousand rubles a month. So the main thing is not to be lazy.
Control is the Key to Quality and Safety
While we are talking, the seeders are already approaching the edge of the field, making the final touches. But the grain farmers had to stop once more before the finishровать: members of the district mobile working group for monitoring the sowing campaign are arriving. The team of specialists, representing various services, is headed by Vasily Goncharov, Head of the Department of Labor, Employment and Social Protection of the Vitebsk District Executive Committee.— We are inspecting the farms of the district according to the schedule, — Vasily Petrovich explains. — The goal is methodological assistance, ensuring the quality of work and labor safety. Checking the serviceability of equipment, the correctness of waybill documentation, the availability of first-aid kits, fire extinguishers, personal protective equipment, and catering organization — the list of issues under our control is extensive. We monitor the situation not only in the fields but also in workshops, mineral fertilizer storage sites, and other facilities. So far, no violations have been found in this farm; the organization of labor is at a decent level.
Ilya Novitsky, Alesya Tsygankova, and Vasily Goncharov, the mobile group of the Vitebsk District Executive Committee for monitoring field work. In just 10-15 minutes, the inspected tractors are off again: they need to catch the weather while it favors the farmers.
— Today, about 30 people are working in the field, — explains the head of the farm. — Along with sowing, we are actively engaged in soil preparation, applying organic fertilizers, carrying out the second top dressing of winter crops, and harrowing perennial grasses.
…A group of young people appears at the edge of the neighboring field. These are students from the Veterinary Academy who have arrived to help "Olgovsky." The young men and women are picking stones from the already sown areas — to protect the combine harvesters, which will come here in three to four months for the fresh harvest, from breakdowns.
— As always, we have focused on winter crops again, — Nikolai Leoshko reveals the secrets of the crop production strategy. — Practice in recent years shows that they yield the best harvest. Last year, for example, thanks to winter crops alone, we achieved 34 centners per hectare. And the spring crops were half destroyed by drought... So, last autumn, we have already created a non-plThe groundwork has been laid – nearly 1.3 thousand hectares of winter crops are currently gaining strength. I hope they won't let us down in this year's harvest season either.
"Olgovskoye" PC has everything necessary for the high-quality execution of spring field work.Issues with fertilizers are being resolved promptly, and the large-scale renewal of the technical fleet carried out at the farm is yielding good results. A couple of months ago, the farm acquired four MTZ tractors. And if we analyze the "new acquisitions" over the last three years, the cooperative's fleet has been replenished with seven tractors, as well as new trailers, spreaders, rakes, and a heavy-duty MAZ truck. New equipment plus experienced personnel – this is the foundation for good harvests and high milk yields.