Farms in the Vitebsk region have sown more than half of the planned areas with winter grains

September 13, Vitebsk /Sergey Kochetov - BELTA/. Farms in the Vitebsk region have sown more than half of the areas planned for winter grain crops, a BELTA correspondent was informed at the regional executive committee's agriculture and food department.

As of September 13, these crops occupy over 132 thousand hectares, or 53% of the plan. In addition, soil preparation for winter sowing, including rapeseed, is nearing completion in the region. Thus, about 90% of the planned areas for winter crops have been plowed, glyphosate has been applied to more than 50% of the planned areas, and all districts have begun applying organic fertilizers for winter sowing. In general, it is planned to complete the sowing of winter grain crops in the region by September 20.

Potatoes have been harvested from almost 1.7 thousand hectares, which is more than a quarter of the planned harvest areas. About 1.3 thousand tons have been dug, with an average yield of over 233 centners per hectare across the region. Most districts have begun forming seed potato stocks for the 2012 harvest; over 2.7 thousand tons, or about 7% of the plan, have already been stored for these purposes. In addition, farms in Dokshitsky and Sennensky districts have started supplying potatoes to the Tolochinsky starch plant.

Vegetables have been harvested from an area of over 131 hectares, which is 12.6% of the areas to be harvested. 586 tons of cabbage have been collected (average yield 250.3 centners per hectare, almost a quarter of the areas harvested), about 1 thousand tons of beets (almost 295 centners per hectare, a third of the areas), and about 638 tons of carrots (254.2 centners per hectare, a quarter of the areas harvested). Farms in Vitebsky and Orshansky districts have begun harvesting onions.-0-