Why is it premature to write off agriculture in the Vitebsk region? A major interview with Sergey Levkovich
Why are there record harvests, milk yields, and weight gains in some farms, while others are chronically lagging behind? Why are law enforcement agencies getting involved in livestock mortality issues? Is it true that rural areas pay pennies and that young people find the agricultural sector uninteresting? Where can qualified personnel for animal husbandry be found?
We discuss the reorganization of agricultural enterprises, the anti-crisis roadmap for agrarians in the Vitebsk region, the construction of palaces for cows, scandalous videos on social media, and criticism on TikTok, as well as whether it is really time to give up on agriculture in the northern region, in the project "From the Editor-in-Chief" with the First Deputy Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee, Sergey Levkovich.
In one information stream today, battles for harvests coexist with honest and hardworking rural workers, selfless heroes working from dawn to dusk for years, aromatic loaves, and fresh milk of extra quality, alongside loud criminal cases for negligence, mismanagement, livestock mortality, fair criticism from the President, and remarks from "experts" on TikTok, who are eager to capture the "unfortunate cow in terrible conditions" for the sake of kindness or hype. So how are things really in the agricultural sector in Vitebsk region?
20 days make a difference, but not everything
– Historically, Vitebsk region has the lowest population density in the country. In addition, the northern region of our country has some of the least fertile soils. The growing season is 20 days shorter than in the southern regions. These 20 days really make a difference. And this is not just words, but average indicators proven by specialists, – notes Sergey Levkovich, fixing the base that sets the working conditions for the entire industry in the region.
However, "weather dependence" for agrarians, while significant, is far from the most priority problem. Much more attention and effort is required to address the issue of staffing in the agricultural sector.
– I cannot say that the situation with personnel is so critical; there are solutions to this problem. With the right approach, both urban residents and residents of district centers can work in agriculture. People need to be attracted to agriculture, but conditions must be created for them. Today is no longer the time when livestock breeders milked into barrels on linear installations of old farms, and the main means of mechanization was a horse, – emphasizes Sergey Viktorovich. – A modern agrarian must have days off and a decent salary. Yes, we cannot escape mass seasonal work during the sowing or harvesting campaigns. During this period, maximum concentration and dedication from everyone, especially mechanizers, are required. But even under these difficult conditions, the heads of agricultural organizations must take into account the wishes of the people. This is already an industrial approach to labor organization: everyone has their own defined area, volume, and direction of work, which applies to veterinarians, zootechnicians, and agronomists.
Loss of losses?
The preservation of livestock is one of the most painful topics for animal husbandry. And not only in Vitebsk region. Reports of animal deaths, especially on a large scale, cause a resonance in society, outrage, and bewilderment. Why is this happening and who is to blame? Sergey Levkovich is convinced that it is important to fight for the life of every calf and to change the situation where hiding losses in the cattle population is considered the norm.
– It is not for nothing that the head of state keeps this issue under control. This is not just about love for animals. This is our economy, our well-being. The government is also concerned about this issue. It is clear that the veterinary service requires special attention, not only in terms of preservation but also in other qualitative indicators of animal husbandry. The future of agriculture lies with cattle. There are not many specialized agricultural enterprises in our region that raise poultry or pigs. More than 160 farms are engaged in dairy cattle breeding in the region. And they all differ in financial and economic indicators, which ultimately reflect on the salaries of workers. No preservation – no income. This is where everything lies, – noted the first deputy, emphasizing that, unfortunately, some leaders have had a practice of concealing animal deaths for years, and this has become systemic. And now, with the involvement of law enforcement agencies, this problem is being brought to light, although not everyone likes it.
– No one wants to make things worse. The sooner we, agrarians, understand that we need to address livestock preservation specifically: calves need certain conditions, proper care, feeding, vaccination against diseases, and treatment if necessary, the sooner we will overcome this difficult moment, – pointed out Sergey Levkovich, adding that the foundation of this process is the people who look after the calves. He mentioned that serious work is being done in this direction.
– We see every operator who is engaged in raising small calves. We know their salary level and demand that these people be provided with a decent income. This is not an easy job; each calf requires an individual approach. At the same time, physical capabilities, even with great desire, responsibility, and understanding of what needs to be done, are not limitless. In this regard, we monitor the workload of each person and the number of heads they can handle, – noted the head of the agricultural sector in Vitebsk region, emphasizing that the conditions for keeping calves are gradually improving. Reconstruction of old premises is underway, new dairy complexes (MTC) are being built, prophylactic centers are being established, and individual houses for keeping young stock are being purchased. A decision has been made by the regional executive committee to purchase vaccines for cattle at the expense of the budget, and work is underway to create vaccination links for livestock based at veterinary stations and our dairy plants. Control over the use of vaccines and the expenditure of veterinary drugs is being carried out.
The recipe for achieving stable and unprofitable work, Sergey Levkovich is convinced, does not require super technologies and super complex solutions. To achieve positive results in animal husbandry, it is necessary to ensure the productivity of the milking herd of at least 16 kg per cow, average daily weight gains of 700 g
in each farm, increase discipline, and monitor compliance with the minimum requirements for the technology of keeping and feeding cattle.
Agricultural action
A full-length film could be made about the current harvest in Vitebsk region. About honest and selfless labor, people who truly love their work and are focused on results, mutual assistance and support, and the ability to find a way out of the most difficult situation. At the same time, special effects and major plot twists are provided by the heavenly office.
– This year we have faced extremely challenging conditions. The weather simply does not allow us to harvest quickly and efficiently. The main type of soil in Vitebsk region is clayey, which retains moisture, and the equipment literally gets stuck. Combines can enter the same field several times due to oversaturated soils. You can only return to problematic areas after several good days. Equipment with a caterpillar track has proven itself well in such conditions, but this is not a panacea. This season, energy-intensive tractors are widely used in harvesting to provide towing for grain harvesters when necessary. It is also hampered by the fact that grain transport vehicles cannot move across the field. To unload the hoppers, tractors are brought up to them, or the combine goes to the truck. All this, accordingly, entails costs: time, fuel, human resources, – explains the expert, adding that during such a difficult period, rural workers show themselves as an excellent team that does not give up, despite everything, and achieves results, with full dedication from specialists brought in from other enterprises.
Everything is being done to collect every grain; a real battle for the harvest is underway. The selfless work of agrarians cannot be overlooked; the main words of gratitude and deserved awards will come after the campaign is over. The harvest is now in its final stages. Almost 90% of the areas have been harvested.
Unity and mutual assistance in harvesting in Vitebsk region are felt more than ever. Our agrarians are receiving help from colleagues from other regions of the country. To speed up the harvesting pace, more than fifty units of equipment have been transferred from Minsk, Grodno, and Mogilev regions to nearly a thousand of their own combines.
– The harvest is quite good. The yield of winter rapeseed amounted to 92.4 thousand tons, taking into account the spring crop – the gross collection of this crop reached 104 thousand tons. The fulfillment of the state order is in the final stages. The yield of grain crops is almost 32 centners per hectare,
which is 9 centners higher than last year's level, – noted Sergey Levkovich.
Anti-crisis map
Sergey Levkovich notes that there are many capable managers and promising agrimanagers in Vitebsk region, with whom further development of the industry is planned. They are ambitious, wanting not just to work but to achieve results. He is personally acquainted with almost all the heads of agricultural enterprises in the region and has an understanding of the potential and prospects of the enterprises they lead. To prove his words, he shows a hefty folder – a kind of anti-crisis map of the agricultural sector in the northern region. The analysis has been compiled for each district, agricultural enterprise, where leaders or growth points (currently, these do not necessarily have to be financially successful enterprises) are marked in green. In the red zone are those with unclear prospects, and their path to recovery is reorganization.
– Reformatting and reorganization of agricultural organizations are inevitable. I can say that a number of farms are awaiting changes. Mechanisms for the further existence of each such agricultural enterprise have already been developed. We prioritize options for joining stronger ones. But this is a very delicate line; such a process cannot happen spontaneously. We study everything in detail and thoroughly before reorganization to avoid worsening the situation and losing a strong farm. We work pointwise. We support integrator farms. First of all, by purchasing new agricultural machinery, building new MTCs, supporting the organization of sowing campaigns in spring and autumn, fuel, and mineral fertilizers, – explained Sergey Levkovich, adding that options are being studied for all such investment farms that are worth investing in. Information is being collected and analyzed for each, including how many farms there are, how many complexes are planned to be built, and what productivity they aim to achieve based on existing competencies. Such an anti-crisis map is not dogma – everything can change, and if an enterprise exits the red zone in the near future, other development scenarios will be sought for it.
– It is important to understand that the reorganization of an agricultural enterprise does not mean its liquidation. The main goals are to preserve the team, scale and optimize production, and improve the financial well-being of both lagging and integrator farms. And in this matter, without support and updating the material and technical base, it is impossible to talk about the development and prospects of the agro-industrial complex in the northern region of the country, – emphasized the expert.
When will the agricultural sector become a field for self-realization
The key role in the agricultural sector, Sergey Viktorovich is convinced, is played directly by the head of the agricultural enterprise.
– He bears enormous responsibility, and there is very high demand from all sides: from the team to managers at various levels. Personally, for me, this category of agricultural workers is a priority. Therefore, a competent head of a farm in the region will always be supported in every way.
The First Deputy Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee shared that many local leaders have become accustomed to relying on personnel. They say that processes on farms are technologically established, they are ready to pay good salaries, but there are no specialists. But why then did one leader find six veterinarians for his team, while another explains problems with milk yields and livestock preservation by the absence of a veterinarian, while over six years of work he has not been able to attract and motivate even one specialist to stay at the enterprise?
Sergey Levkovich does not deny that the problem with specialists does indeed exist. There is always a need for qualified zootechnicians, veterinarians, and agronomists.
– Fundamental tasks are set for staffing the industry. In Vitebsk region, where one of the best higher educational institutions in the country is located – the Academy of Veterinary Medicine, it is simply unacceptable to justify the lack of personnel. We have a large number of qualified specialists, – believes the first deputy and shares that certain shifts in this direction are already underway.
– This issue needs to be addressed specifically. In each district, there are specialists with higher veterinary education who, for example, work in construction, housing and communal services, trade, and other sectors. Even if two or three of them return to work in their specialty at an agricultural enterprise, that is already a good result. There are examples where specialists provide veterinary services under contract. It is not uncommon today for people to come to the agricultural sector after working in trade or the social sphere. We cannot force anyone to work; people need decent conditions: a clear work schedule, days off, and salary – and this is already the responsibility of the head of the agricultural enterprise, which, unfortunately, not everyone fully understands.
First and foremost, the composition and quality of his team depend on the head himself, how well he has managed to attract youth to the organization, motivate them (not just financially), and inspire them when needed. The criteria for the effectiveness of an agricultural manager's work are proportional to the number of targeted educational directions issued by the farm and the retention of young specialists after mandatory service.
– The main thing is that the aspiring agrarian has the desire to work. It is no secret that the level of training of graduates varies; they need to be taught a lot, directed somewhere, invested in the development of a young person, his competencies, and sometimes it is enough to treat them with parental care. After all, in addition to working conditions and financial aspects, an important component is respectful treatment of specialists and all workers. Only then will agriculture become a field for the self-realization of professionals, – summarizes Sergey Viktorovich.
Building palaces and driving wedges
A significant amount of work lies ahead in modernizing facilities for keeping livestock. Currently, there are many farms that are often located at a considerable distance from each other. The outdated "N" buildings (cow barns in the shape of the letter "N") are discussed at meetings and practical seminars, and the President, whose light hand has led to modern and technological complexes being referred to as palaces in the press. The average person may get the impression that effective animal husbandry requires almost royal conditions.
– We have about 410 farms, some of which need to be simply demolished. Organizing work there according to modern requirements is practically impossible. Therefore, we are moving towards new forms of livestock keeping organization. We are building modern dairy complexes. New facilities are being introduced. There is a specific list of agricultural organizations where this work is being carried out or planned. This year, about 14 dairy complexes are being built, where the necessary conditions for keeping animals are being created, – explained the expert.
New complexes are not a panacea. The main thing is how effectively they work, what specialists work there. The result depends on the specific person, their qualifications, knowledge, and desire.
– Competence is already being increased; training is conducted at the leading agricultural organizations not only in the region and the country but also abroad, – noted Sergey Levkovich.
"Real estate" for cattle is just one element of successful and economically viable animal husbandry. It is also important not to forget about the prevention and treatment of diseases. In this regard, Vitebsk region is fortunate: there is a serious scientific school at the Academy of Veterinary Medicine and the production of its own veterinary drugs is established at BelVitinifarm. But, as the peasant wisdom says, milk is on the cow's tongue. The productivity of cows largely depends on their diet. Providing a complete and balanced diet with local resources in the context of risky, and in the northern region extremely risky agriculture is a task that, while not stellar, requires serious efforts.
Achieving a stable gross production volume of 1.1 million tons of grain is not possible. Every year we face various calamities: droughts, floods, or frosts that damage crops. And then to harvest all this without losses when it can rain for weeks is quite a quest. In such conditions, it is difficult for agrarians to work, but even here a rational approach and competent analytics help to orient and balance the sowing wedge. Sergey Levkovich noted that the focus should be on winter cereals (mainly wheat) and corn. Not everyone in Vitebsk region manages to "make friends" with spring cereals; much depends on the heavenly office, so they are trying to replace them as much as possible with the queen of fields.
– I believe that the work we are currently doing will increase efficiency and yield positive results in agriculture. Vitebsk region has enormous reserves. Each of us has the task of diligently performing our work. Our people know what needs to be done. And to implement what will guarantee results is my task, – summarizes the first deputy chairman of the regional executive committee.
P.S.
It would seem that after such a programmatic analysis of the most painful points of the agro-industrial complex in Vitebsk region, a period could be put. But surely there will be readers and subscribers who will start to recall the resonant videos about the unfortunate cows on forgotten farms, the dire situation of agricultural enterprise workers, the unfair treatment and negligence of management. The audience loves such footage; they gather a decent number of views. The authors of the sensational stories pursue different goals: some need hype and activity in the comments, some want to take revenge on a former or current leader, and for some, it is a cry of the soul.
Does such criticism in social networks resonate, and how to respond to it, we also asked Sergey Levkovich.
– Criticism in the information space has existed and will continue to exist. If the internet is used for manipulation and solving personal issues, that is one thing. But if the criticism is justified, reveals and shows problems, then no matter how unpleasant it is, it is beneficial. When it is on point, it resonates very seriously. Our people show what is happening with us. Individual facts cannot help but outrage. I try to look at the root of the problem: what we should do to prevent this in the future.