Farms in the Vitebsk region have exceeded the volume of corn harvesting for feed by almost 70% compared to 2008

November 26, Vitebsk / Sergey Kochetov - BELTA /. Farms in the Vitebsk region have harvested 1.5 million tons of corn silage, which is 600 thousand tons, or almost 70%, more than in 2009. This was reported to a BELTA correspondent by Nikolai Olenich, Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Agriculture and Food of the Regional Executive Committee. Corn was sown this year on an area of almost 80 thousand hectares. The yield of this forage crop was 257 centners per hectare, which is 66 centners per hectare higher than last year's figure. This result was achieved thanks to comprehensive work, including strengthening the technical equipment of farms (about 40 new domestic KZS 715 harvesters were purchased), improving farming practices, and using modern agricultural technologies. Farms do not plan to increase the sown area for this forage crop in 2010, which will remain around 80 thousand hectares. In addition, a regional program for the development of the agro-industrial complex for the future is currently being developed, which provides for further strengthening of the material and technical base of farms, including equipping them with energy-intensive sowing units and tractors, forage harvesting complexes, and modernizing grain drying facilities. "This year we have worked out the technologies, and strengthening the material base will allow farms to significantly reduce harvesting times and minimize dependence on weather conditions," believes Nikolai Olenich. Today, about 2.5 thousand hectares remain unharvested in the region, which is less than 3% of the total area under this crop. The main volume of work to complete the corn harvest will be carried out by farms in Verkhnedvinsk, Postavy, Shcharchinshchyna, Vitebsk, and several other districts. These are mainly regions where 1.5 to three monthly norms of precipitation fell during the autumn months, emphasized Nikolai Olenich. The current situation significantly complicated the work of machinery, and at times made mechanized harvesting impossible, requiring the use of manual labor, including with the involvement of patronage assistance from enterprises and organizations. According to experts, such support will make it possible to fully complete the corn harvest in the near future. -0-