Vitebsk region plans to bring field contouring to the European indicator of 20 hectares by 2015

August 30, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. By 2015, the Vitebsk region plans to increase the average field contour size from 5.2 hectares to the European level of 20 hectares. These targets are laid down in the draft regional program for the development of the agro-industrial complex for 2011-2015, the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee's Agriculture and Food Department informed a BELTA correspondent. With the current average field contour size in the region of 5.2 hectares, specialists concluded that the main profit from crop production can only be obtained through livestock products. A comparative analysis of costs for cultivating four fields of 5 hectares each and one field of 20 hectares showed that fuel savings alone on the larger field could amount to Br175 thousand per hectare. Thus, increasing the field contour size will reduce fuel costs by 25-30%. In total, from 2011 to 2015, reconstruction and restoration of reclaimed land covering an area of 200 thousand hectares will be carried out, as well as work to clear woody and shrub vegetation on 100 thousand hectares. The total cost of these works will exceed Br1 trillion. -0-