16 July, Vitebsk /Alena Tikhonova - BELTA/. Power engineers, road workers and foresters of the Vitebsk region will become crop growers for the harvest period, the Committee for Agriculture and Food of the Regional Executive Committee informed a BELTA correspondent.
To ensure the efficient and uninterrupted operation of agricultural machinery during the harvesting campaign, the Vitebsk region needs 8.5 thousand machine operators, of which almost 1.7 thousand are additional labour resources. Traditionally, the team of assistants is formed from graduates and senior students of specialised educational institutions, as well as workers of industrial enterprises and organisations in cities. Significant support during the harvesting campaign is provided to the region's agrarians year after year by joint-stock companies "Nafta", "Vitebskenergo", RUP "Vitebskavtodor", KUP "Vitebskobldorstroy", Belarusian Railway, as well as the region's forestry associations.
The Regional Committee for Agriculture and Food emphasised that during the harvesting campaign, there is a shortage not only of machine operators but also of fitters, welders, turners, and drivers in agricultural organisations. These problems are solved through traditionally established ties between industrial enterprises in cities and the patronised agricultural organisations of the districts.
Currently, selective harvesting of winter cereal crops is underway in the region's farms. Combines have already covered about 400 hectares, with an average yield for the region at 30 centners per hectare. In total, this year the region's crop growers will have to thresh over 468 thousand hectares of grain crops.
Mass harvesting of rapeseed is underway in the region. This oilseed crop occupies almost 43 thousand hectares in the region. Work has been carried out on over 5 thousand hectares, with about 8 thousand tonnes of rapeseed oilseeds threshed, at an average yield of 14.7 centners per hectare. The best results in rapeseed cultivation are shown by agrarians of the Vitebsk district, where the yield reaches 23 centners per hectare. They are followed by Dokshytsy and Orsha districts with yields of 20 and 18 centners per hectare, respectively. -0-
News of Belarus (BELTA)