Meeting of the Regional Executive Committee: issues of readiness of agricultural organizations for sowing and implementation of the state program for the development and maintenance of roads were discussed
There is less and less time left before the start of sowing, and a number of important tasks still need to be addressed in a short period. By the February decree of the regional executive committee, among other things, the main indicator for farmers was approved: in 2020, it is necessary to increase agricultural production by 6 percent compared to last year. In absolute terms, the goal is to obtain 980 thousand tons of grain in barn weight, 104 thousand tons of rapeseed oilseeds, 13.1 thousand tons of flax fiber, and 84.9 thousand tons of potatoes. These and other indicators can be achieved in two ways: by increasing yields or by plowing and sowing additional lands that are idle, noted Mikhail Pridibaylo, Chairman of the Committee for Agriculture and Food of the Regional Executive Committee. The structure of sown areas in an increased volume has been communicated to the districts. Spring sowing, taking into account the work done in the autumn, will be carried out on 447 thousand hectares (last spring it was 390 thousand). Based on this, options for ensuring all components of the work complex were analyzed.
The situation with seeds of all crops is quite good. There are 113 percent of grain seeds to the target, corn is being purchased for an increased acreage of up to 120 thousand hectares, and there is more than enough for exchange for higher-grade potato material. It is more difficult with mineral fertilizers. So far, 18 percent of the required amount has been accumulated (slightly lower than last year for this period). To purchase the allocated quotas of fertilizers, 54.6 million rubles are needed. These are credit resources and the own funds of agricultural organizations. Organic fertilizers are being transported to the fields, with 64.7 percent of the target already achieved. The only issue is fuel for these works, of which 300 tons are needed per week. The formula for providing plant protection products has not changed. Farms need to purchase them with their own money; taking into account the remaining stocks, 86.5 million rubles need to be spent for the entire season.
As of February 25, the readiness of tractors for field work is 90 percent, while for other equipment the percentage is slightly lower. However, in some districts, the situation is much worse than the regional average. There is clarity regarding fuel, with 9 thousand tons allocated by the Council of Ministers out of the required 27 thousand tons. As noted by the Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee, Nikolai Sherstnev, it remains to negotiate at the local level with Belneftekhim to allow for deferred payment not for three days, but within a month.
The most important aspect is ensuring the availability of machine operators to organize the operation of energy-intensive equipment in two shifts. The shortage of almost a thousand people will be compensated by college students and assistants from cities. As stated at the meeting, the reliability of these people's participation in the sowing campaign needs to be verified and confirmed. The entire mechanism must work like clockwork, with a work plan calculated to the minute, to sow spring crops in two weeks, ensure timely crop care, and then have time for preparation and rest before fodder harvesting. This year, the task is to achieve a 11.6 percent increase in crop production, which will serve as a basis for increasing milk and meat volumes. With the adoption of the well-known Presidential Decree, the Vitebsk region's agro-industrial complex expects real changes and progressive development. And this year's sowing campaign, noted Leonid Anfimov, Chairman of the State Control Committee of the Republic of Belarus, who participated in the meeting, will be the first stage in assessing how this document is working.
Roads as an Economic Factor
Vitebsk region has the most extensive network of local and republican roads, with 860 bridge crossings. Their condition does not fully meet the needs of the national economy in terms of road transport. In conditions where budget allocations for new construction and major repairs of transport arteries are decreasing, it is necessary to develop a strategy for their maintenance and servicing in order to respond promptly to problem situations and prevent entire sections from failing. Despite all the difficulties, it was stated at the meeting that the state program targets for the past three years have been met. We must give credit to our road workers, who, in the context of reduced major repairs, are promptly coping with maintaining the roads in proper condition through current repairs. This is a lifesaver. However, it is necessary to find solutions to prospective problems, including those that have long been overdue, as emphasized by Nikolai Sherstnev to the managers. Vitebsk is the only regional center that does not have a modern highway connecting it to the capital. The project to expand the Vitebsk-Orsha road, and further along the M1 highway, which is the most realistic in terms of financial costs, remains just a project. We have built almost no new roads in recent years. Special attention is to be paid to highways where temporary load restrictions on vehicle axles are in effect, and there are more of these, as well as gravel roads, in the region than elsewhere. This is a factor hindering investment attraction.
Following the review, the Vitebsk Regional Road Construction Unit (КУП «Витебскоблдорстрой») has been instructed to develop a clear proactive action program and to implement it. A shortage of funds is not an excuse. As the Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee instructed, road organizations can and must earn funds for the maintenance and development of intra-regional roads by providing services to third-party organizations. Even the target set for the regional road construction unit of 25 percent of income from extra-budgetary orders is a minimum. We must act effectively in the existing conditions; there is no other way.