Sherstnev: the future of the agricultural sector of the Vitebsk region lies with large-scale production

May 5, Vitebsk. The prospect of development of the agro-industrial complex of the Vitebsk region is seen in the work of agricultural holdings and the expansion of large-scale production. Nikolai Sherstnev, chairman of the regional executive committee, stated this at today's press conference, BelTA has learned.

At the press conference, journalists from the Vitebsk region touched upon the topics of various sectors of the economy and the social sphere of the region. Among the issues that worried the representatives of the media was the work of large agricultural clusters created last year by decree No. 70 "On the development of the agro-industrial complex of the Vitebsk region."

“Today, small agricultural enterprises are unable to invest in their modernization, since they have not accumulated capital for this. Even the purchase of a tractor can eat up almost the entire budget of an enterprise. Therefore, the merger of disparate farms into one large and viable one is the main development prospect. about 100,000 hectares are under control and there is an opportunity to turn around for machinery, we have the corresponding results.As an example, I will cite the Chashniksky district, where one machine operator plowed 5,000 hectares, and this is a quarter of the arable land of the district.This is the future of the village.A person should work in modern conditions, on modern technology and high-quality equipment. And as a result, there will be high wages. In the current conditions, large-scale production is the guarantor of the well-being of the agro-industrial complex of Vitebsk region, it is the future,"- said the HEAD of the region.

Nikolai Sherstnev also focused on the need to create their own raw material base for processing enterprises. This is necessary in order not to purchase MILK and MEAT outside the region and not to incur additional costs, including transportation. Today, in many agricultural associations, the "heart" is the factories for the production of dairy and meat products. They set the tone for the farms that work alongside them and create a complete production cycle from the field or farm to the counter. Consequently, the interaction of all links of agro-industrial associations is aimed at achieving maximum results and high profits for each enterprise.

Agrarians of the region EXPORT a considerable part of their products and earn foreign currency. In order for the situation in this area of ​​the regional economy to continue to improve, it is necessary to introduce new technologies. “The number of people employed in agriculture at the beginning of April this year is only about 30 thousand people. In 5-6 years, about 24 thousand of them will retire. employed in agriculture, it is necessary to achieve an increase in the volume of production and improve its quality.Therefore, one should bet both on attracting young people to modern agricultural complexes and on the introduction of new technologies.As an example, we can name the technologies of precision farming, when wide-range equipment is driven in the fields by a satellite This allows you to fully cultivate the available land, save fuel and increase yield. Similar technologies are already being used in the Mazolovogaz agricultural enterprise in the Vitebsk region. By the end of the five-year plan, they will be introduced throughout the region," the head of the region said.

When asked about investments and areas of work to attract them to the region, Nikolai Sherstnev answered that last year the pandemic had a strong impact on their volume. Some projects are waiting to be completed this year. "For example, equipment or raw materials from European countries did not arrive due to the closure of borders, but the work, the way and with a shift in deadlines, continues, and the implementation of projects will be gradually completed. More than 30% of investment products are produced in our region. In order to increase the volume of foreign investments, it is necessary to resolve issues locally more quickly and without delay.The investor should be treated more attentively, otherwise he will leave.But the taxes received by the regional budget from foreign enterprises will subsequently be returned to the region and redistributed to the social sphere.

The journalists were also interested in vaccination, road repairs, the presence of government officials in social networks, the development and expansion of the private sector of the economy, as well as the situation associated with the negative hype around the anniversary art festival "Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk". Concerning the last question, Nikolai Sherstnev assured that the forum would be held and that no negative reactions or outside influences would affect its holding. "This is not only the brand of Vitebsk and the region, but also the prestige of the whole country. All this hype is aimed at people who have never been to the festival. It will take place within the period specified by the President," the head of the region explained.

This year, the format of the traditional press conference with the head of the region was expanded and video questions from the residents of the region were added. So, a Vitebsk resident was interested in whether the landscaping of the courtyard areas of Gagarin Street, where a large-scale reconstruction is currently underway, will be carried out. Even during the republican subbotnik, Nikolai Sherstnev said that the second stage would be to improve the housing stock on this street, including courtyards and the construction of new houses.

Another resident of the region asked a question about the development of housing and communal services. “Today I can’t say that the housing and communal services are underperforming, although there are some facts of negligent attitude to work. But the problem is that citizens often cannot solve their problems themselves, believing that someone should come and do it for them. I I believe that cleaning territories and houses should not be the responsibility of housing and communal services only.Their task is to improve technologies, acquire new equipment and enter into new relationships with consumers of housing services.When residents of houses create a mess around themselves with their own hands, this says something "Mess in the entrances is not created by housing and communal services workers. Special organizations can be created for cleaning. Citizens do not know how to clean up after themselves - let them pay those who do it for them," the chairman of the regional executive committee noted.

A resident of the agricultural town of Budilovo, Beshenkovichi District, was worried about the closure of a basic school in their village. Nikolai Sherstnev said that the optimization was dictated by the economic inexpediency of maintaining a school where there are from 2 to 5 children in classes, and the costs for each student exceed the established standards by almost 4 times. "Now the second wave of optimization will take place. It is aimed primarily at improving the quality of educational services and achieving better results both in the Olympiad movement and introductory campaigns. I would like parents to understand and support this process," the head of the Vitebsk areas.

Photo by Alexander Khitrov