28 July 2004
Brest region farms harvesting crops
Farms in all districts of the Brest region have already started harvesting rape crops, Mariya Kunts, an agriculture official with the regional executive committee, told BelaPAN.
According to her, farms in two districts, the Pinsk and Brest ones, have also begun bringing in the barley harvest, reaping 3.1 to 3.4 tons from a hectare.
This year's harvesting campaign is going to be difficult, Ms. Kunts noted. According to her, severe storms on July 9 and 19 damaged more than 50,000 hectares of grain and leguminous crops in the region.
In addition, June frosts affected crops in the Lyakhovichi and Gantsevichi districts.
Some 1,700 combines are expected to be used in the harvesting campaign in the region. Seventy brand-new combines from the Gomel-based Gomselmash agricultural equipment manufacturer have been
added to the region's stock of harvesting machinery this year, and 108 more combines are expected to be delivered shortly.
The regional government has provided 7 billion rubels for purchasing one third of the necessary fuel. An additional 3 billion rubels was given for repairing old machinery. As Ms. Kunts noted, the offered incentives should help improve the performance of those involved in the campaign. Under the regional government's decision, the best-performing district will be awarded 7 million rubels and the winner among farms will be given 2.5 million rubels.
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