20 February, Vitebsk /Diana Kurilo - BELTA/. The tractor fleet of agricultural enterprises in the Vitebsk region is 87% ready for the spring sowing campaign, Gennady Sabinich, Deputy Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee's Committee for Agriculture and Food, informed a BELTA correspondent. Approximately 70% of soil cultivation and sowing units have also been repaired. Br19.7 billion of own funds and Br10 billion allocated from the regional budget have been invested by farms in equipment preparation. However, a significant deficit of funds for purchasing spare parts remains. According to Gennady Sabinich, the machine and tractor fleet must be fully ready by March 1. In 2011, the region's farms received 286 tractors, 100 forage harvesters, 500 grain harvesters, 47 sowing and soil cultivation units, 470 mineral and organic fertilizer spreaders, and 192 reversible ploughs. In 2012, the Vitebsk region will continue its efforts to achieve an optimal sowing area structure. The region plans to ensure a gross agricultural output growth rate of 104-105% across all categories of farms, produce 1.5 million tonnes of grain, 20 thousand tonnes of flax fibre, 150 thousand tonnes each of rapeseed and potatoes, and 872 thousand tonnes of milk. -0-

BELTA