Minister of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Tatarstan reported on the forthcoming harvesting campaign

Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan – Minister of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Tatarstan Marat Akhmetov reported on laying the groundwork for the forthcoming harvesting campaign at s session in the House of Government of the Republic of Tatarstan today.

Interim President of the Republic of Tatarstan Alexey Pesoshin held the videoconferencing session with all municipal districts of the republic.

Marat Akhmetov informed that as of today over 1 million tons of forage or 18.1 dt of forage per animal has been preserved in the republic. The figure exceeds the one of the previous year (17.9 dt). However, the minister reminded that in the nearest future a part of machinery (mowing machines and machinery for transportation) would have to be exploited at harvesting of grain crops and asked farmers to work hard during forage making.

Opening floor for questions concerning the harvesting campaign, Marat Akhmetov noted that different crops would have to be harvested from 1.8 million ha of fields, including grain crops which occupied 1.6 million ha. Harvesting will start everywhere on August 1. At present bread crops are in the stage of ripening. Daily moisture downturn is 1-2%. “We start harvesting behind time this year. Last year we had had 1.3 million tons of grain yield. That is why the present situation will take much more efforts to harvest bread crops timely”, - said the minister.

A lot of fields suffered from the second wave of weeds due to the humid weather. According to Marat Akhmetov’s words, it could influence harvesting very much. “Next Wednesday we are going to hold a videoconferencing session on harvesting tactics. This year we will have to use even non-traditional methods. I am inviting the heads of districts to let all relevant specialists, such as directors, specialists of farm households and enterprises, heads of peasant farm enterprises, etc., participate in the session”, - said the minister.

He informed that harvesting machinery had been already inspected. As of today, the fleet of grain harvesters includes 3,412 combines, 1,755 tractor trailers, 1,144 self-propelled mowers and rotary windrowers, 4,345 trucks. Every year agricultural producers exploit about 2,000 trucks of individuals and businesses. “Readiness inspection of the so-called harvesting complex has been carried out: we have inspected mobile repair facilities, labour and health safety conditions, fire safety, remuneration of labour and incentives for all participants of the harvesting campaign”, - emphasized Marat Akhmetov.

Aktanysh, Aznakaevo, Atnya, Baltasi, Buinsk, Drozhzhanoe, Zainsk, Kaibitsy, Saby, Sarmanovo, Nurlat and a number of other municipal districts has successfully prepared grain harvesters for the forthcoming field work. At the same time, farm households of Agryz, Alekseevskoe, Bavly, Verkhniy Uslon, Elabuga, Mendeleevsk, Menzelinsk, Pestretsy and Tetyushi municipal districts will have to carry out a lot of repair work and spend much on spare parts.

“Harvesting becomes complicated due to heavy workload on combines in a lot of farm households and enterprises. The average workload is 472 ha per combine in the republic, but in a number of farm households the figure is over 1,000 ha per combine. So I beg directors of enterprises and heads of districts to take measures to organize double-shift work”, - said the minister.

Farm households and enterprises which have a lot of work should ask for help, said Marat Akhmetov. Thus, by prior arrangement, the Voronezh Region, the Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories are ready to provide over 100 combines. The service cost is 3-3.5 thousand rubles per ha.