All regions of Belarus have completed the task of introducing prophylactics or are close to it

The head of state Alexander Lukashenko has repeatedly stated that now the cow should stand, figuratively speaking, in the palace. This means in a modern dairy complex. The task is set to transfer all the dairy herd to such premises by the end of 2030. Both animals and the people who serve them will benefit. Only at MTC can an effective milk production technology be fully implemented. In addition, maintenance personnel are required much less than on older farms. How is the process of transition to complexes, how many animals are still kept by technology with summer grazing, how is the construction of dispensaries for calves moving? About this - in the operative review "SG".

At the beginning of 2024, there were 3.2 thousand dairy facilities in the country. The number of old with tethered content, summer grazing, as well as complexes with year-round finding of cows in the premises, the same type of feeding was approximately the same. But time doesn't stand still. Intensive work is underway on the construction of modern ITCs and the closure of obsolete MTFs. As of January 1, 2025, the total number of dairy facilities decreased to 2987, but the number of modern ITCs increased to 1683. And here's the latest data. As of September 1 of this year, there were 2712 dairy facilities, of which 1,697 MTC accounted for 63 percent of the total. Of the 1 million 331 thousand heads of dairy herds, 79 percent are located on modern dairy complexes.

In the Brest region, 86 percent of the total number of dairy facilities, where 94 percent of the dairy herd is located. In Vitebsk — respectively 24 and 45, Gomel — 61 and 69, Grodno — 75 and 90, Minsk — 59 and 75, Mogilev — 73 and 84.

With the number of cows grazed, the opposite trend is observed. In 2018, about 800 thousand cows were driven to fresh grass in the country, that is more than 55 percent of the total. In three years, it's about halfway. In 2024 — 406 thousand cows, or 28 percent.

At the end of May of this year, almost 210 thousand heads of dairy herds were grazed throughout the country - 16 percent of the total. In Brest region — a little more than 1 thousand heads (0.4 percent), Vitebsk — 75 (50), Gomel — 26 (14), Grodno — 29 (13), Minsk — 34 (11), Mogilev — 44 thousand (27 percent).

Now the reverse process is being completed - the transfer of grazed cows to stall maintenance. As of September 24 (information is collected once a week), 44 thousand cows of dairy herd remained on the green grass. In Brest region - more than 1 thousand, Vitebsk - 18, Gomel - 0.3, Grodno - 17, Minsk - 7, Mogilev - 0.3 thousand. By October 1, all of them should be on the stall.

Of course, all rooms for this must be repaired and disinfected. “Special attention when transferring to stall content should be paid to feeding,” explained Natalia Sonich, head of the main department for the intensification of livestock and fishery activities of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. There should be no sharp transition from grass to silage and silage. This should be done gradually so that digestion in animals is not disturbed and milk yields do not fall. Another important area of work these days is the completion of the construction of dispensaries for calves. Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture and Food of the Brest Regional Executive Committee Andrey Vitko said that it was planned to introduce 39 dispensaries in the region. They're all already built. Until November 1, they will be completely filled with young people. The total capacity of such facilities is 8.5 thousand cattle places. According to Roman Podrez, Deputy Head of the Department for Livestock Production and Industry Construction of the Committee for Agriculture and Food of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, 72 dispensaries for almost 12,000 places were planned to be built in the region. 71 facilities are ready, the remaining one will be commissioned in the coming days.

In the Gomel region, the largest plan is 160 dispensaries.

— Ready 106, — said the first Deputy Chairman of the Committee on agriculture and food of the regional Executive Committee Olga Voronovich. — We will make every effort to October 1 came into operation and the rest. As a result, almost 26,000 calves can be placed in such dispensaries.

Of the planned 102, 96 dispensaries were built in Grodno region. The head of the livestock and breeding department of the Committee on Agriculture and Food of the Regional Executive Committee Valery Mitlashkov assured that the remaining ones will be handed over within one or two days to accommodate 18 thousand calves in all.

Deputy Chairman of the Committee on agriculture and food of the Minsk regional Executive Committee Leonid Zasemchuk said that in the Central region of the planned 111 handed over 107 dispensaries. By October 1, the rest will be ready. The total number of cattle places at such facilities is more than 20 thousand. In the Mogilev region of 44 planned dispensaries for more than 10 thousand calves ready, said the first Deputy Chairman of the Committee on agriculture and food of the regional Executive Committee Olga Nikolaychenkova.

As you can see, all regions have already completed the task of introducing dispensaries or are close to it. This means that in the coming winter, no small calf will be outdoors, which will significantly improve the safety of the livestock.

gedroiz@sb.by