Republic

Belarus collects almost 3.6m tonnes of grain

Almost 3.6 million tonnes of grain has been collected in Belarus, Deputy Agriculture and Food Minister Vasily Pavlovsky told BelTA. In his words, this year’s biological yield is estimated at 7.2 million tonnes. With half of the amount gathered in, it is quite possible to reach the targeted gross grain yield if the field work is properly organised, stressed the Deputy Minister. In his opinion, harvesting quality and the application of all technological methods are vital for reaching the goal. According to the official, machines have to be operated wisely, as dried fields and too humid fields may occur in one and the same agricultural company. The Deputy Minister believes, the larger part of the national gross grain yield will be harvested in Grodno and Minsk oblasts, where grain yield averages 32 and 36 centners per hectare respectively. He criticised certain companies in Gomel and Brest oblasts, which, regardless of recommendations of the Agriculture and Food Ministry, continue sowing light soils with cereal crops subjecting the latter to drought every year. Meanwhile, it is established that it is more profitable to sow light soils with corn, as it is more drought-resistant. The official noted, this year’s brewer’s barley harvest is good. With 130,000 tonnes collected, the state has already bought 15,000 tonnes and plans to buy another 17,000 tonnes. All in all, the state plans to buy 150,000 tonnes of brewer’s barley, enough to provide Belarusian breweries with quality homemade malt. Some of the brewer’s barley will be exported. The state has also purchased and sent for processing 139,700 tonnes of rape oil seeds, with 44,000 tonnes of raw stock sent to Vitebsk Oil Extraction Plant. Flax harvesting is more complicated. In some areas the crops are low due to this June’s drought. However, almost 80% of the crops is in excellent conditions. Flax pulling is in progress now. As excessive humidity brought by rains is devastating for flax, farmers are doing their best to gather in at least 60,000 tonnes of flax fibre. All in all, this year’s yield of agricultural crops will allow Belarus to accumulate a solid trading stock, believes Vasily Pavlovsky. As Eastern Europe, Moldova, Ukraine and Russia are expected to experience an essential grain shortage, with prices already on the rise, Belarus should satisfy the home demand for raw materials and may be able to export excessive stock, stressed the Deputy Agriculture and Food Minister.