Region

Gomel oblast is first in Belarus to finish spring sowing campaign

The agricultural companies of the Gomel oblast were the first in Belarus to finish the spring crop sowing campaign, the chief of the main plant growing department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Foodstuffs, Grigory Romaniuk, told BelTA. According to him, the grain crops were sown on the area of 121,600 hectares. The sowing of other crops is underway in the region. Around 42.2% of spring crops has been sown in the oblast. This is quite a high index in the country. The grain crop sowing campaign will be completed in Belarus this week except for the Vitebsk oblast. This is the task set by the Ministry of Agriculture and Foodstuffs before regional committee of agriculture and foodstuffs. The task is manageable considering the good weather recently, Grigory Romaniuk says. “There is a need to increase the daily rate of sowing up to 5% to make up for the lost time. So far the rate has been 2.6%,” he said. As to Belarus in general, spring crops have been sown on 779,000 hectares which is one third of the planned sowing (56% in 2007). The Gomel oblast is ahead of the other regions in terms of the amount of sowing performed – 42.2%. In the Brest oblast this indicator is equal to 40.6%, in the Grodno oblast – 38%, in the Mogilev oblast – 33%, in the Minsk oblast – 30.3%, in the Vitebsk oblast – 16.3%. On April 14, about 38,500 hectares were sown, including 27,000 hectares of grain crops which accounts for 1.6% and 2.6% respectively. Spring grain crops (without corn) have been sown on 696,400 hectares which is two thirds of the plan. In the Brest oblast 87.7% of grain crops were sown, in the Grodno oblast – 75.6%, in the Mogilev – 64.9%, in the Minsk – 58.6%, in the Vitebsk – 31% of the plan. In the Vitebsk oblast the pace of the sowing is slower which account for a number of understandable reasons. As the soil is heavy there the farmers have to wait until it dries out each time it rains. On April 14, the fastest pace of sowing was shown by the Minsk and Grodno oblasts – 4.54% and 4.52% respectively. Some 939,000 hectares are prepared for sowing which is 40% of the planned area. 22.8 million of organic fertiliser is allocated for the 409,000 hectares of the sown area. Agricultural enterprises of Belarus have sown 7,700 hectares of sugar-beet which is 10% of the plan. Here the Grodno oblast is leading with 15% of the sown area. The territory under flax accounts for 8,000 hectares which is 9.6% of the plan. The agricultural enterprises of the Brest and Minsk oblasts have sown 28% and 18% respectively. The Brest and Gomel oblasts were the first ones to complete the mineral feeding of winter cereals and winter rape. The agricultural enterprises of the Minsk oblast have also finished the mineral feeding of the winter rape the territory under which has increased 7 times. The total of 89.2% of the winter cereals, 95% of winter rape, 91% of permanent grasses and two thirds of pastures have been fed in the country.