19 February, Vitebsk /Diana Kurilo - BELTA/. An additional Br100 billion will be allocated in 2013 for the reconstruction and modernisation of dairy farms in the Vitebsk region. The decision was made today at an extraordinary session of the Vitebsk Regional Council of Deputies, a BELTA correspondent reports.
Vladimir Mashero, First Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Agriculture and Food of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, informed the deputies that the regional dairy industry development programme for 2012-2015 envisages the construction of over 100 dairy farms, and the reconstruction and capital repair with modernisation of 228 dairy farms. A significant volume of work has already been completed, but to finalise the programme, an additional Br100 billion needs to be allocated from the regional budget. Vladimir Mashero explained the need for financial resources by the necessity to equip farms with milking parlours and the increased cost of construction work.
According to him, the implementation of the regional dairy industry development programme will allow for an increase in milk production to 1397.5 thousand tonnes by 2015, and an increase in the supply of milk raw materials to processing enterprises to 1310 thousand tonnes. In addition, each additionally produced kilogram of milk in the form of dairy products can be exported. The realisation of production potential can be achieved through a set of organisational and technological measures to complete the phased specialisation of agricultural organisations and transition to industrial, intensive technologies. In 2013, the region plans to produce 1.5 million tonnes of grain, 940 thousand tonnes of milk, and sell 228 thousand tonnes of livestock and poultry. -0-