The mass harvesting of birch sap has begun in the Vitebsk region.

How is birch sap harvested, can it be done independently, and where can the drink be purchased?

How is birch sap harvested, can it be done independently, and where can the drink be purchased?

This year, the sap season started later than usual due to cold weather, as sap flow only occurs with the arrival of warmth. However, there are many who wish to purchase the healthy drink. The Vitebsk forestry reports active demand for birch sap.

– To date, the forestry has sold about 9 tonnes of birch sap, and we hope that sap flow will continue for another one and a half to two weeks, – informed Dmitry Zbyrzhinsky, engineer for forest protection and defence at the Vitebsk forestry.

To avoid harming the trees and to obtain a quality product, there is a set of rules for collecting the medicinal drink. In the area of the Vitebsk forest district designated for main use felling, forester Alexander Smogorzhevsky ensures compliance with all these rules.

– Sap can be harvested from birch trees that will be felled within five years, and their diameter must be at least 20 cm. An opening of 3 – 5 cm deep is made in the tree at a distance of 25 – 30 cm from the stump, a trough is inserted through which the sap will flow, and a bag is tied to collect the drink, – explains the forester the collection technology.

Forestry workers collect sap as the bags fill up, and the product is sent to consumers every day. It can also be purchased directly at the harvesting site, as Yulia Pavlova does annually.

– It is very convenient that the foresters harvest the sap and it can be purchased right here. We come here every year, as birch sap is a natural product that benefits the body when consumed, – she said.

However, not all residents of the northern region follow the harvesting rules. The other day, a violator who was illegally extracting sap was caught at the Vitebsk forestry.

– In early April, a forester from the Vitebsk forestry, while on the territory of the state forest fund, discovered illegal birch sap tapping and contacted us. The forestry enterprise decided to install a camera trap, which recorded a citizen arriving at the same time – at 6:30. This Tuesday, we arrived at the forest at 6 o'clock, the offender came for the product, and he was caught red-handed, – noted Dmitry Zbyrzhinsky. – An administrative report has been drawn up. The offender faces a fine of up to 20 base units and compensation for damage to forestry for each liter of illegally collected sap at 0.1 base units. To prevent such situations, enthusiasts of self-prepared beverages should contact the nearest forestry office, where specialists will explain how to properly collect sap, provide instructions, and offer plots where it can be done legally.

In addition, the beverage can be purchased at any forestry enterprise or forestry office.

In the forestry enterprises of the Vitebsk State Forestry Production Association, a liter of birch sap can be purchased on average, including VAT, for 40 kopecks, and in forestry offices – for 30 kopecks.

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