The editorial office received a letter from the employees of the repair and mechanical plant:
“Representatives of the Lepel Forestry are appearing on television and in organisations, stating that it is not permitted to harvest birch sap without authorisation. However, in the Dokshytsy District, it is being sold in an organised manner in forestries. Why can this not be done in the Lepel region? We request a response through the newspaper. I.V. Tukhta, V.K. Chernyavsky, I.I. Kozlov.”
The question is interesting, as the benefits of birch sap have been repeatedly proven, and its prices in shops range from five to ten thousand roubles per litre.
At the Lepel Forestry, chief accountant Alena Gardionok provided an official statement from the deputy head of the department of the regional committee for natural resources, Vasily Kirpichenok. It states that “The harvesting of birch sap by citizens for personal needs is carried out free of charge. However, everyone who wishes to do so must contact the nearest forestry or forest enterprise. Harvesting is only permitted in mature and overmature stands designated for felling.
Ready-made birch sap can also be purchased at forestries; this year it costs 780 roubles per litre.”
Alena Vladimirovna clarified that for the residents of Lepel, sap is harvested by the Stayskoye Forestry, while the rest of the production will be directed to procurement organisations. Village residents can contact their nearest forestry.
As reported by the Stayskoye Forestry, a system for selling birch sap to the public is indeed being established there. Plots have been allocated for harvesting in the vicinity of the villages of Staroselye and Myadzvedzovka. The buyer must come to the forestry, pay for the purchase. Then, accompanied by a forester, they go to the plot and fill their containers with birch sap already collected in polyethylene bags directly from the trees.
Indeed, sap directly from the tree is an excellent product, guaranteeing its naturalness and valuable content. However, the journey to the forest plot, especially in early spring, can be a serious challenge for a car. The sale of harvested birch sap, as explained at the forestry, is not possible because there are no facilities within the forestries to ensure the storage of sap in full compliance with sanitary standards.