On October 19, Minsk / Tatyana Lobas - BELTA /. In 2011, it is planned to supply agricultural machinery developed under state programs to farms in Belarus on a long-term lease basis with a 50% subsidy from the state. This was announced at the international conference "Scientific and Technological Progress in Agricultural Production" by Vladimir Samosyuk, Candidate of Economic Sciences, General Director of the Scientific and Practical Center for Mechanization of Agriculture of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, as reported by a BELTA correspondent.
This decision is planned to be made based on a more detailed study of this issue with the participation of leading scientists and designers in the field of agricultural machinery manufacturing. "In 2011, the cost of machinery developed under state scientific and technical programs will be reduced by 50%. This will make it easier for us, developers and designers, to implement our developments. This is a great achievement for us, and it will only benefit domestic science and Belarusian manufacturers," emphasized Vladimir Samosyuk.
The General Director of the center also reported that the Concept of a System of Advanced Machinery for 2011-2015 has been developed, which includes a specific list of machinery for each sector of the agro-industrial complex. "These will be new-generation machines and equipment that will optimize capital investments in re-equipping the fleet, ensure a significant increase in labor productivity, reduce energy and resource consumption, create favorable conditions for the production of agricultural products, and ultimately enhance its competitiveness," stressed the head.
The concept, developed by the National Academy of Sciences, the Ministry of Industry, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, includes 435 types of machinery and equipment, including 327 for crop production and 108 for livestock production.
According to Vladimir Samosyuk, the most promising direction should be the creation of new tractors and combines with an engine power of up to 350 hp. According to specialists' calculations, the share of energy-intensive tractors with an engine power of over 300 hp should be at least 15%, or 8,000 units, in the new five-year period. It is planned to develop and master the production of modular soil-cultivating units with a working width of 9 m and 12 m. The Pronto DS unit from Horsch (Germany) can be taken as a foreign analogue.
Direct seeding drills with a 6 m working width will be developed. It is planned to introduce new types of fertilizer spreaders that would be more mobile on waterlogged fields. Currently, the rate of renewal of such machines does not exceed 1-2% per year. This is 5-10 times lower than the required innovation rate. Farms need silo-type grain storage facilities, the total capacity of which across the republic should ensure the storage of at least 6 million tons of grain.
Ensuring farms with high-quality seed material remains a pressing problem, according to the scientist. To this end, Belarus plans to construct 40 seed plants and lines with a capacity of 5-12 thousand tons of seeds per year during the new five-year period. Scientists are ready to provide farms with the designs for such lines.
Upon the request of the agricultural sector, a self-propelled potato harvester, a set of machines for harvesting carrots and table beets, a modular container-type dryer for onion sets, and a set of equipment for creating a microclimate in vegetable storage facilities will be created.
The implementation of the Concept of a system of advanced machinery, upon its full adoption, will allow for a reduction in operating costs for the production of winter wheat and spring barley by up to 20%, sugar beet by up to 10%, silage corn by up to 15%, potatoes by up to 40%, and fuel costs for the production of winter wheat and spring barley by up to 30%, sugar beet by up to 12%, corn by up to 25%, and potatoes by up to 45%.
Scientists and designers from Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Latvia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, and Israel are participating in the conference. The forum will last until October 20. Over 130 reports are planned to be heard and discussed at the plenary sessions.
BELTA