Alexander Subbotin: "Grain growers passed a difficult exam"
On the eve of the regional festival-fair of rural workers, "Vitebskiye Vesti" asked the Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, Alexander Subbotin, to summarize the results of the harvesting campaign.
– Alexander Mikhailovich, how seriously did the weather affect the grain production plans?
– This year, we planned to reach the level of 1 million tons of grain, for which a large set of preparatory work was carried out. The necessary volume of own quality seeds was procured. Issues of providing machine operators and diesel fuel were resolved in a timely manner. Sowing was carried out within the established deadlines. For the 2025 harvest, 118.4 thousand tons of active ingredient of mineral fertilizers were accumulated and applied, which is 141% compared to last year. The readiness of agricultural machinery was maintained at the proper level. By the way, within the framework of implementing programs for equipping agricultural enterprises of the Vitebsk region with machinery, over 1 thousand modern high-performance machines were purchased this year for a total amount of almost 204 million rubles. To date, 757 units have been received, including 128 grain harvesting combines, which participated in the 2025 harvest.
With a plan of 100 thousand tons, we harvested 117.5 thousand tons of oilseed rape (the 100 thousand ton mark was overcome for the first time since 2020). The average yield was also record-breaking – 18.1 centners per hectare, the previous maximum of 16.8 centners per hectare was in 2023.
I believe that the results achieved were the maximum possible under extreme weather conditions, when from mid-May to the first decade of August – practically the entire growing season – heavy rains occurred in the region, especially in the western areas.
The agrarians of the Vitebsk region made a worthy contribution to the republican harvest. First of all, to the food security of the country, and to providing the livestock industry with feed, which generates the main income for agricultural enterprises.
– This year, help came to us from other regions of Belarus…
– Yes, that’s right. We were shared the most valuable – equipment and the best machine operators – by the Mogilev, Grodno, Minsk, and Gomel regions, for which we are immensely grateful. For almost two weeks, with breaks between rains, more than three dozen grain harvesting combines worked in the Vitebsk, Sharkovshchinsky, Braslavsky, Lepelsky, and Gluboksky districts. In total, the crews attracted from other regions harvested over 3.6 thousand hectares and threshed more than 9.5 thousand tons of grain.
It should be noted that this year, more than ever before, inter-farm and inter-district transfer of equipment was used. Thus, thanks to high organization and understanding of the complexity of the situation, we harvested the crop through joint efforts.
– However, there are farms that set a high bar even in difficult conditions.
– Among those who have consistently high results year after year are SPC "Larinovka" (gross harvest 11.6 thousand tons, yield 82.9 c/ha) and JSC "Agrokombinat "Yubileyny" (40.6 thousand tons, 63.1 c/ha) of the Orsha district, SHP "MazolovoGaz" PRUP "Vitebskoblgaz" (5.4 thousand tons, 56.3 c/ha) of the Vitebsk district, SHF "Klevtsy" KUP "Vitebskobldorstroy" (4.9 thousand tons, 46.3 c/ha) of the Liozno district, JSC "Khotily-Agro" (11.5 thousand tons, 59.4 c/ha) and "Novoselki-Luchai" (16.3 thousand tons, 46 c/ha) of the Postavy district.
Separately, the result of Vitebsk Broiler Poultry Factory OJSC should be noted, where the gross harvest amounted to 61 thousand tons (before that, the maximum of 54.5 thousand tons was in 2022) with an average yield of 49.1 c/ha. In terms of grain threshed, one enterprise surpassed the results of 17 districts (!). Every fifteenth ton in the regional "bread" falls on Vitebsk Broiler Poultry Factory. The enterprise also has the best indicator for rapeseed collection – 9.1 thousand tons were threshed with a yield of 24.6 c/ha.
More than a thousand combine crews worked on the harvest. The absolute leader is Maxim Sernov from Agrokombinat "Yubileiny" OJSC of Orsha district, who threshed 4.5 thousand tons of grain and rapeseed on a KZС-2124 "Polesie" combine, exceeding his last year's figure by 900 tons.
– How significant was the help from townspeople?
– No matter how high-performance modern equipment is, it is impossible to do without people on the ground. Representatives of enterprises, organizations, and educational institutions traditionally help villagers during the most crucial periods: sowing, fodder harvesting, and crop harvesting. They work as machine operators, drivers, and fitters. More than 600 people were involved in the current harvest, and over 250 units of equipment were sent to farms.
Taking this opportunity, I want to thank all the heads of industrial enterprises, organizations, and educational institutions that provided assistance to the villagers. Special thanks go to those specialists who directly worked in the field.
– Alexander Mikhailovich, what will be remembered about the current agricultural season for you?
– First of all, by the fact that professionalism, competent organization, labor, and technological discipline were demonstrated to the highest degree at all levels – from machine operators and specialists to industry leaders. We achieved the result through joint efforts.
– What are your wishes to the grain growers on the eve of "Dazhynki"?
– Dear agricultural workers! You are united by working the land for the sake of the country's food security. Your successes are of great importance for the economic development of the Vitebsk region and social stability in the region. You have passed the difficult exam with dignity! Warmth, prosperity, comfort, and coziness in your homes! May the weather always be favorable, and may the land respond to your care with generous gifts and rich harvests!