On January 4, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. Open Joint Stock Company "Vitebsk Oil Extraction Plant" (Vitebsk OEP) intends to test the German technology for growing spring rapeseed "Clean Field" in 2012, the enterprise director Alexander Mareyko told a BELTA correspondent. The technology developers offer a comprehensive package including seeds, plant protection products, and also define strict deadlines for sowing, fertilizer application, protection measures, and harvesting. Control over compliance with the regulations will be carried out by the company's technical consultant. The "Clean Field" technology has been implemented at one of the Russian private agricultural enterprises and has shown its economic efficiency: it generates over $250 of net profit per 1 hectare of rapeseed crops. The plant purchased the technology using its own funds. The initiative of Vitebsk OEP was supported by the regional committee for agriculture and food. In spring, the plant will be allocated land in four districts of the region with a total area of 8 thousand hectares for experimental rapeseed sowing. According to Alexander Mareyko, the enterprise was driven to adopt new technologies by a shortage of raw materials for processing. As of January 1, 46.3 thousand tons of rapeseed have been actually supplied to the plant, while the annual requirement is 96 thousand tons. Of this amount, 39.9 thousand tons were supplied under state orders, and 6.4 thousand tons were supplied under direct contracts. In the Vitebsk region, 100 thousand hectares have been allocated for rapeseed cultivation, of which 52% are designated for winter rapeseed. It is planned that in 2012, farms will harvest 150 thousand tons of rapeseed oilseeds. OJSC "Vitebsk Oil Extraction Plant" is part of the "Belgospischeprom" concern. The plant is the only highly specialized enterprise in Belarus for the production of vegetable oils using the progressive extraction method. Vitebsk OEP is a strategic supplier for leading enterprises in the oil and fat industry. The plant's share in the total volume of vegetable oil production by enterprises in the republic is about 30%. For 11 months of 2011, the production volume of products at comparable prices amounted to Br109 billion, with a growth rate of 108.3% compared to the same period in 2010. Due to temporary restrictions on export supplies of rapeseed oil, the enterprise was able to start deliveries abroad only in December and exported products worth $1.8 million in one month. Sales profitability is 20%, and net profit for the 11 months of 2011 was Br9.7 billion.-0-

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