Farms in the Vitebsk region have harvested 30% of the second cut of grass

July 17, Vitebsk / Olga Bogacheva - BELTA /. In the Vitebsk region, second-cut grass has been mown on 42.3 thousand hectares, which is 30% of the planned areas, the Agriculture and Food Committee of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee informed a BELTA correspondent. In total, as of today, first and second-cut grass has been harvested from 305.2 thousand hectares. 669 thousand tons of feed units have been prepared for the inter-season period, which is 9% more than on the same date last year. 116.3 thousand tons of hay, 1973 thousand tons of haylage, and 312.6 thousand tons of silage have been produced. Per conventional head of cattle, there are 15.4 centners of feed units. In total, this year, farmers in the Vitebsk region will have to prepare 1000 thousand tons of feed units. Currently, farms in the region are preparing to start harvesting grain crops. At the same time, in all districts this week, the harvesting of early cereal grasses for seed has begun, and in the Dokshitsky and Postavsky districts, selective harvesting of grain for haylage has started. The harvesting of grain crops in the Vitebsk region will gain momentum somewhat later than in other regions of the republic - at the end of July - the beginning of August. This is due to the climatic conditions of the northernmost region of the country, specialists noted. The growth rate of gross agricultural output in all categories of farms in the Vitebsk region in January-June 2009 was 106.1% with a target of 109.5%, including 109.6% in agricultural organizations and 92.4% in personal subsidiary plots of the population. The production of cattle and poultry amounted to 92.2 thousand tons, or 111% compared to the level of January-June 2008, milk - 373.5 thousand tons (108.8%). The total number of cattle increased by 1%, pigs - by 1.7%, and the number of cows was maintained at last year's level. -0-