MINSK, 19 August (BelTA) – Belarusian farmers have cut down grass on more than 83% of land as part of the second cutting, the Belarusian Agriculture and Food Ministry told BelTA.
As of early 19 August grain and leguminous crops (excluding maize, buckwheat and millet) were harvested from 77.7% of the planned area (1.663 million hectares). Harvesting was completed on 98.5% of the area (341,000 hectares) in Brest Oblast, 60.9% (220,400 hectares) in Vitebsk Oblast, 81.6% (282,900 hectares) in Gomel Oblast, 74.3% (226,800 hectares) in Grodno Oblast, 79% (354,700 hectares) in Minsk Oblast, and 71.5% (237,600 hectares) in Mogilev Oblast.
Belarus threshed 6.239 million tonnes of grain, with the average yield at 37.5 centners per hectare. Last year the average yield at this stage of harvesting was lower, 30.9 centners per hectare.
Winter rapeseed to be used as grain was harvested from 300,400 hectares of land (97.5% of the designated area), with 799,300 tonnes threshed (the average yield stood at 26.6 centners per hectare). Winter rapeseed to be used as grain was planted on 183,400 hectares or 43.3% of the plan.
Malt barley was harvested from 37,600 hectares of land (68.8% of the plan), with 149,200 tonnes threshed and the average yield at 39.7 centners per hectare (last year it was 32.3 centners per hectare).
Flax was cleared from the area of 42,800 hectares (96.6% of the designated area).
As part of the second cutting agricultural workers cut down grass on 856,900 hectares or 83.9% of the plan. Some 732,700 tonnes of hay (76.7% of the target), 11.85 million tonnes of haylage (88.2%), and 351,600 tonnes of silage (1.84%) were produced.
During this period, 5,516 grain harvesters were in operation, which is 73.1% of the available harvesting equipment in Belarus.
