Belarus’ grain harvest past 8.9m tonnes

Over 8.9 million tonnes of grain has been threshed in Belarus so far, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian Agriculture and Food Ministry.

“As of 8 September, some 8,945,000 tonnes of grain, including rapeseed, were cropped in Belarus,” the press service informed.

The regional breakdown is the following: Minsk Oblast - 2.236 million tonnes, Grodno Oblast – 1.740 million tonnes, Brest Oblast – 1.679 million tonnes, Mogilev Oblast – 1.252 million tonnes, Gomel Oblast – 1.047 million tonnes, Vitebsk Oblast – 991,000 tonnes.

Belarus has harvested 98% of areas planted to grain and leguminous crops (maize not taken into account), which makes up 2,368,000 hectares. Average grain yield is 8.3 centners per hectare higher than last year’s level.

Some 651,000 tonnes of food grain have been delivered under the state procurement program, representing 93% of the target.

Winter grains for grain have been sown across 129,000 hectares, 9% of the plan.

Flax has been pulled from over 47,000 hectares, accounting for 99% of the planned area.

Sugar beet has been harvested from 13% of the area, which amounts to 12,000 hectares. The harvest has yielded 608,000 tonnes of sugar beet with an average yield of 474 centners per hectare, which is 40.2 centners per hectare higher than last year's figure.

Maize for silage and green fodder has been harvested from 8% of the area, which is 78,000 hectares.

Some 461,000 tonnes of hay (64% of the plan) and 13.150 million tonnes of haylage (94% of the plan) have been prepared so far. Forage production has reached 4.481 million tonnes (45% of the target).

Some 101,000 tonnes of potatoes have already been harvested, with the average yield making up 342 centners per hectare, 33.1 centners per hectare above last year.