Farmers have become accustomed to setting records. Turchin on the achievements of the region's agricultural sector.

About 200 representatives of Minsk Region districts, from managers to insemination technicians and milking machine operators, were recognized following a regional competition for achieving the best results in developing the central region's agro-industrial complex. BELTA correspondents also attended the gala event, which took place in Dzerzhinsk. It has
 

become a good tradition in the Minsk Region to recognize those who demonstrate outstanding performance in other areas of agricultural production, almost immediately following the celebration of the best grain growers who achieved their moment of glory at the "Dazhynki" festival. After all, rural areas don't live by bread alone; the country's strong food security is ensured by milk and meat producers and strengthened by those engaged in forage procurement. The contribution of strategists, who serve as heads of departments, farms, and districts, is no less significant.

"Agriculture is a sector that receives a great deal of attention, but it's worth it. Minsk Region farmers have taught us to set annual records. We break them every year—in crop production and livestock farming. This is all thanks to the workers present in this hall and at their workplaces today. Agriculture is a sector that requires constant work. We can't stop or take a break; it's work day and night," Minsk Region Executive Committee Chairman Alexander Turchin addressed the ceremony participants.

He also expressed gratitude to the farmers for their dedicated work and dedication.

"As for the state, we will continue investing in agricultural development. This includes purchasing modern equipment, constructing new livestock facilities, and implementing new large-scale investment projects. This year alone, new areas of poultry farming have emerged – a quail farm built by the Soligorsk Poultry Farm, a turkey factory in the Kopyl District of the Dzerzhinsky Agricultural Complex, and much more. And we won't stop there; we'll move forward," noted Alexander Turchin.
In the near future, he added, he plans to implement a program to develop pig farming, so that this industry, too, can operate under completely different conditions. 

"The Minsk Region received high praise from the head of state: everyone heard the President's gratitude to the rural workers in Volozhin at the Dazhynki festival. And I am confident that we are all capable of achieving even greater results. And based on the indicators we achieve in the national competition, we can say that the Minsk Region is a clear and undisputed leader in our country," he emphasized.
As of November 1, agricultural organizations in the region had produced over 1.8 million tons of milk.The marketability of the products sold amounted to 91.6%.

Over the first 10 months of 2024 , more than 130,000 tons of cattle and over 200,000 tons of poultry were raised .

The region operates 679 dairy farms, including 351 high-tech complexes, where milk production accounts for 69% of the region's total.

We spoke with those who rush to the farms early every morning, who are responsible for the health of the livestock and their healthy offspring, and who lead the livestock breeding team, addressing their pressing needs.

Lyudmila Steshenko heads the Turets dairy farm, part of the 10th Congress of Soviets, in the Cherven District. She has worked in livestock farming for many years, having tried her hand as a milkmaid and inseminator.

"I'm from a village myself, having grown up in the Gomel region. I want to say that livestock farming has changed significantly in recent years: working conditions have improved, milk yields have increased. We have almost 2,000 head of cattle on our farm, over 800 of which are dairy cows. The work is certainly difficult, but we've gotten used to it," Lyudmila Vladimirovna modestly noted.

Andrey Trukhanovich is the chief veterinarian at the State Unitary Enterprise "Gorodok" State Farm in the Uzda District. "He has 28 years of experience, having worked on three farms before settling in the Uzda region. My team includes two other paramedics, one of whom is a young specialist, so I also have to mentor them. I'm pleased to see that the industry is developing: complexes and calf care facilities are being built. "Under such conditions, animals are less likely to get sick," he said.
Valentina Nikonovich, Galina Klezovich, and Valentina Kurak are machine milking operators at Kozlovichi-Agro OJSC. They worked together on the old farm, and the same team moved to the new machine milking complex.
"Our complex, designed for a thousand head of dairy cattle, was opened by the President in 2022. We've been working in modern conditions for two years: the Karusel milks 50 head in 10 minutes. And at least 24 tons of milk are sent from the complex for processing daily," the livestock breeders said .

Photo by Ramil Nasibulin,
BelTA.