In the Vitebsk region, sowing operations have begun on a large scale. The official start of the spring sowing campaign in the region took place today at the "Zasevki" festival of the first furrow in the Orsha district, with the participation of the Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee Alexander Subbotin and the heads of all districts of the region.

The head of the region congratulated all participants of the festival, organized according to folk traditions, on this significant day:

- We are united by traditions and unity, so I congratulate everyone! Such a joint celebration mobilizes everyone for important, necessary, and rewarding work.

The head of the region noted that sowing has just begun to unfold in the region:

- Only the first 150 hectares have been sown so far. There is still a lot of water in the fields. There are areas where the soil is not yet ready. Nevertheless, the sun is warming, the land is approaching the required condition, and we are massively entering the sowing season. Everything is ready for the work. Almost 6 thousand tractors will be involved, more than 5.5 thousand machine operators from farms and those seconded from enterprises and organizations. This year, fertilizers have been collected many times more than last year, so everything is ready for the first and second top dressing. There is a lot of work ahead, we have to sow and cultivate a large area – almost 314 thousand hectares. Now the most important thing is to do everything correctly and on time.

At the field of UP "Zubrevichi-Agro", the "Zasevki" festival of the beginning of the future harvest was held today, which was also attended by the head of the region Alexander Subbotin, chairmen of district executive committees, and heads of agro-associations. According to tradition, before sowing grain into the ground, one must wash their hands, pass under an arch of embroidered towels, and stand on a woven towel from which one can sow. Moreover, this must be done with good thoughts and a loving heart, because, as the folk saying goes, "Sowing grain is not picking up dough."

The grain growers and their honored guests performed the ancient ritual according to all the rules and launched the regional sowing campaign.

The agricultural enterprise workers, who hosted the regional festival, are very happy that they can finally go out into the fields. They have missed the land all winter and are ready to start sowing. Among the best machine operators of "Zubrevichi-Agro", Sergey Tsygankov went out to sow. "I have been working as a machine operator for over 20 years. I followed my father into this profession; together with him, even as a schoolboy, from the 4th grade, I helped plow, sow, and harvest hay and straw. The start of sowing is one of the main holidays of the year for me. Now, as soon as we start, we will be in the field until autumn, until we finish sowing winter crops," shared the hereditary farmer. He added that his 17-year-old son also helps in the field sometimes, but he does not aspire to work in agriculture.

For Anatoly Trebnikov, the leading agronomist of the agricultural enterprise, the start of sowing is a responsible task and a joy for the soul: "For us, this is a real holiday, it puts us in a good mood, and the usual work begins. Our farm is to sow 1.5 thousand hectares of spring crops this year. Winter crops, which occupy 800 hectares, have overwintered well. There are enough fertilizers, and we are carrying out top dressing of winter crops. Now there is a lot of work ahead, and before we know it, we will have to complete the autumn sowing – time flies for agrarians in their usual work." The leading agronomist also said that the team at the enterprise is small but cohesive; last year, each combine harvester harvested more than a thousand tons of grain, and the gross harvest was about 9 thousand tons.

Overall, in the Orsha district, farmers plan to break their own record of last year. "We plan to harvest at least 145 thousand tons of grain crops this year. 21 thousand hectares of winter crops have been sown in Orsha region, and 11 thousand hectares are allocated for spring crops, meaning that with favorable weather conditions, we need to sow from 900 to 1.2 thousand hectares per day," said Igor Isachenko, Chairman of the Orsha District Executive Committee.

Farmers in the Vitebsk region face intensive work, as they must complete sowing by May 15. Sowing is proceeding selectively, as snow has only melted from the fields about five days ago. "The region's farmers are motivated and ready for sowing, in which about 6 thousand tractors will participate. We have to cultivate 314 thousand hectares of sown areas. Fertilizers, especially nitrogen ones, have been procured in larger quantities than last year, and they will be sufficient for the first and second top dressings. The main thing is to complete everything on time, and then there will be a good harvest," emphasized Alexander Subbotin, Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee.

"SB", photo "BELTA"