Mass forage harvesting has started on Sakhalin

This year, the weather allowed farmers to start preparing feed two weeks earlier than last year.
The quality of the prepared feed determines both the condition of the animal and the results of its life activity — the animal's productivity and the enterprise's profit. Feed accounts for up to 70% of the cost of milk, so improving the quality of prepared feed, reducing its cost and losses is a priority task in feed production. This task is solved both by complying with technological requirements and by conducting a feed preparation campaign in the optimal time frame.
- Good and high-quality feed is the basis for healthy animal nutrition and a guarantee of high productivity. With the assistance of the Governor and the Government of the Sakhalin Region, we provide comprehensive support to our farmers aimed at developing various areas of agricultural production, in particular animal husbandry. This allows us to compensate for the costs of purchasing fertilizers, forage crop seeds and specialized equipment for preparing feed, - emphasized Pavel Medov, Acting Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Trade of the Sakhalin Region.
Currently, more than 18 thousand tons of roughage and succulent fodder have been prepared, which is 13 thousand tons more than in the same period last year. Green mass has been mown on an area of more than 3 thousand hectares. Of the 16 districts that are engaged in forage preparation, forage has begun to be prepared in 5 districts. By mid-July, absolutely all districts will begin to prepare their own forage.
- We began forage preparation at the end of June. We mainly prepare haylage. This is the best way to preserve the maximum amount of nutrients in the green mass of plants - the grasses have time to accumulate enough sugars and proteins before harvesting, and hermetically sealed storage avoids the loss of vitamins and microelements. For example, clover, perennial ryegrass, brome grass and timothy grass are sown in this field. Four types of grass: cereals and legumes. It is important for our farm to provide animals with high-quality forage all year round, because this is what the health of the livestock and the productivity of our farm depend on. Modern technology also plays a major role in forage preparation. Over the past five years, thanks to support, we have been able to purchase 17 units of new equipment. Of course, we also use other support measures, - said Evgeny Grushka, head of the farm.
In general, in 2025, in all categories of farms in the Sakhalin Region, it is planned to prepare 200 thousand tons of roughage and succulent feed. For one conventional head, this is almost 33 centners of feed units. This amount of feed is enough to meet the needs of 28 thousand heads of cattle , as well as the production of the planned volume of milk - 60 thousand tons and more than 3 thousand tons of cattle meat in live weight.