Sources of small rivers

10/10/20120 views

October 10, Lepel /Own.inf./. Modernisation of production capacities is an urgent need, the fulfilment of which determines whether the manufactured goods will be able to compete with leading brands and be sold profitably in the near and distant future. This postulate applies in full to agriculture, and in particular to the dairy industry. The milk river originates on dairy farms, eight of which are being built and modernised this year.

First, eight facilities were identified where the main funds and efforts are directed, funding sources and amounts of assistance were determined. In these autumn days, the work is gradually coming to completion, and some preliminary results can be summarised.

The first thing that is paid attention to in market realities is the price of the issue. According to estimates, the reconstruction of the eight farms costs 24.4 billion rubles, of which 9.4 billion are own funds of agricultural organisations, 2.2 billion were allocated from the regional budget, 1.8 billion from the district budget, and another 1.3 billion was attracted in the form of sponsorship. The remaining 9.7 billion rubles are credit resources allocated under a special programme at a preferential interest rate. The National Bank's refinancing rate has been reduced by eight points, which is currently 22 percent. However, loans can be considered as funds of agricultural organisations with full justification, as they will have to be repaid from income, including from milk sales, in the coming years.
The first challenge was the tight deadlines for construction and installation work. All eight farms in the Lepel region designated for reconstruction were operational, housing livestock. Therefore, the start of work was postponed to mid-May, when the grazing season began. In parallel with construction, the management of the farms had to carry out a complex of field work.

Another difficulty was unforeseen additional expenses. For example, at the farms, it was initially planned to replace the roof and carry out minor repairs to the walls. However, it later turned out that the walls were also significantly dilapidated, so they had to be included in the reconstruction plan, essentially rebuilding them on the old foundations.

Another headache, common throughout the country, was the shortage of skilled construction personnel. In Soviet times, each collective farm had its own construction brigade, and not just one; there was a permanent position of site manager, and extensive industrial and housing construction and repairs were carried out. In recent years, construction and repair volumes have decreased, builders have moved to specialized organizations, or retired. In short, to implement the plans, it became necessary to hire external workers, so-called "shabashniki" brigades, and specialized construction organizations.

Now the main work is completed, with only the final touches remaining here and there. New stall equipment, manure removal systems, milk pipelines, and closed-type milk coolers have been purchased and installed in the renovated buildings. All the equipment is of Belarusian production, which also significantly reduced the cost of reconstruction. In total, the reconstructed premises can accommodate 1600 head of dairy cattle.

The following important questions arise: why is such a huge volume of work being carried out, why are large funds being spent, and what goals need to be achieved?

The district's farms have the following indicators in milk production: the average annual milk yield per cow ranges from 3.2 tonnes (at Rayagorservice) to 6.5 tonnes (at KUVSGP "Lepelskoe"), milk commercialization is about 85 percent, with the share of extra-grade milk being 35%. Starting next year, it is necessary to achieve milk yields of 4.5 – 6.8 tonnes of milk. Milk commercialization should reach 90 percent, and the share of extra grade should be no less than 70. Only with such indicators and rates will it be possible to recoup the invested funds. According to specialists' calculations, the investments should pay off within five years.

Vasily MATYRKA.