Vitebsk region surpassed last year's grain harvest thanks to selfless labor - A. Kosinets

September 17, Vitebsk / Sergey Kotovetov - BELTA /. The dedicated work of the Vitebsk region's grain growers has allowed to surpass last year's harvest in 2009. This was stated by the Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, Alexander Kosinets, at a meeting with the region's delegation members at the republican festival-fair of rural workers "Dazhynki-2009", which took place today at the regional executive committee, according to a BELTA correspondent. "As of today, the gross grain harvest amounted to 1 million 170 thousand tons - this is the third result in terms of harvest in the entire history of the Vitebsk region," Alexander Kosinets emphasized. Despite unfavorable weather conditions, when lodging reached up to 70% of the crops, the region's grain growers, working sometimes around the clock, organized the sowing and harvesting campaign, completing the main harvest earlier than the southern regions of the country. "You have done the practically impossible," the head of the region is confident. This year, thanks to state support, a powerful modernization of the agro-industrial complex has been carried out in the region: over 2.1 thousand units of modern equipment have been acquired, including 440 grain and forage harvesters, 250 high-power tractors, and over 250 reversible plows. A significant result was also achieved by introducing an additional 112 thousand hectares of land into crop rotation. The governor wished the delegation members at "Dazhynki-2009" to worthily represent the Vitebsk region, to have a good rest, and upon returning from the holiday, to re-engage with renewed vigor in the effective work of completing winter sowing and preparing for the spring of next year. Today, it is necessary to organize work in such a way as to complete winter sowing by September 25 at the latest. "The task is to sow 210 thousand hectares with winter crops, but it is necessary to increase the sown areas to 250 thousand hectares," Alexander Kosinets made the task more challenging for the grain growers. In addition, there is still a lot of work to be done on fodder procurement, including harvesting corn and clover. The region must complete the main field work by October 1 and begin preparing for next year's harvest. The delegation of the Vitebsk region to the republican festival-fair of rural workers "Dazhynki-2009" includes more than 100 grain growers and machine operators, heads of districts and farms, distinguished agricultural workers, including more than 60 winners of republican competitions for harvesting grain and leguminous crops, for procuring forage crops, as well as the republican review-competition "Land use of high farming culture, improvement of machine yards, livestock farms and complexes." -0-