Chairman of the Minsk Regional Executive Committee: the basis of a rich harvest is loyalty to the cause, professionalism of bakers

Today in Dzerzhinsk is the regional festival-fair of village workers

Minsk region can rightly be called the main breadbasket of Belarus. From year to year, the central region makes a significant contribution to the republican loaf, and its grain growers invariably demonstrate their professionalism, skill and loyalty to their native land. Many agricultural enterprises achieve brilliant results both in crop production and in animal husbandry, confirming that labor on the land is honored here. And every ton of grain collected in the fields of the region is the best confirmation of the words in which the age-old wisdom lies: “Bread is the head of everything.” On the eve of the regional festival-fair of village workers, the chairman of the Minsk Regional Executive Committee Alexei Kushnarenko answered the questions of the SG, stressing that the annual high grain mill is the result of the painstaking work of thousands of people, multiplied by a competent management approach with an emphasis on modern technologies.

Alexey Ivanovich, the main stage of the harvesting campaign is completed. Did you manage to exceed last year’s level? What areas and specific farms have made the most significant contribution to the regional loaf?

- To the upcoming Dazhynkas Minsk region has come up with significant results, confirming its status as the main food leader of the country. In the central region, almost 2.5 million tons of grain were milled, taking into account rapeseed, with an average grain yield of 47.9 centners per hectare.

Moreover, this season was a triumph for our rapeseed fields: the region surpassed its own records, collecting 438,000 tons of rapeseed oil with a yield of 40 centners per hectare. This is a huge step forward: the gross rapeseed harvest increased by 1.5 times, and the productivity of a hectare increased by 10 centners compared to last year.

Behind these figures is the hard work of specific areas and labor collectives of agricultural enterprises, which gave their best. 11 areas for grain threshing have overcome the threshold of 100 thousand tons, and Slutsky, Kopylsky and completely exceeded the 200,000th threshold.

In terms of yield, there were no equals to Nesvizhsky among the regions, where the indicator was 78 centners per hectare. In the top three also entrenched Minsk (65.1 c / ha) and Slutsk (62.7 c / ha) areas.

At the same time, I want to note that real records are born on the fields of specific agricultural organizations. In the production of grain and leguminous crops (excluding corn), the bar of 100 centners per hectare was exceeded by two leading farms: Gastellovskoye OJSC of Minsk district - an absolute record holder with a score of 112.4 c / ha and Podlesie-2003 OJSC Slutsky - 104.6 c / ha.

Each centner of the harvest is the result of the most severe technological discipline. At the same time, I want to emphasize that the basis of a rich harvest is loyalty to the cause, professionalism of grain growers. We have someone and something to be proud of at the Dazhynki holiday.

- This year was not easy in terms of weather. What lessons have the agronomic services of the region learned and how is the strategy to accumulate moisture, select drought-resistant crops taking into account climate change changing?

- Climate change is no longer a theoretical prediction, but a daily reality. The main lesson that the agronomic services of the region learned this season is that it is no longer possible to act in a template approach. Today, an agronomist should have maximum flexibility and be able to make non-standard decisions ahead of time.

As precipitation deficits in critical plant growth phases become systemic, we are shifting to a strict mode of soil moisture conservation. Moisture closure is carried out in an ultra-short time as soon as the technique can enter the field.

The Minsk region is gradually switching to drought-resistant hybrids, the share of corn and grains with high drought resistance and a developed root system is increasing, a big bet is made on the winter wedge. This year, we saw that earlier spring sowing allows plants to skip the peak of early summer drought in a vulnerable seeding phase. The climate is changing rapidly, but our agronomic science is not standing still.

The main conclusion of the year: one who strictly observes technological discipline and promptly responds to the vagaries of nature achieves a high result.

The harvest is complete, but the work in the fields continues. What is the region’s strategy for the autumn period: what areas are allocated for winter, is there enough moisture and fertilizer in the soil to lay the foundation for next year’s harvest?

- You are right, the harvest finish is only a conditional pause: for farmers of the Minsk region, one harvest smoothly flows into another. Our main task for autumn is to lay a solid foundation for the loaf of next year.

In 2026, the scale of the autumn campaign is impressive. Significant areas are allocated under the winter wedge in the region: only about 350 thousand hectares are planned for winter grain.

We have successfully completed the sowing of winter rapeseed, its area compared to the level of last year was 116 percent, and now all efforts are devoted to preparing the soil and sowing grain. The weather forces us to hurry, and the agronomic services have a tough task: to complete the sowing of crops in the optimal agrotechnical time.

As for the resources for the future harvest, we feel absolutely confident here. The provision of mineral fertilizers - nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium - for winter sowing in our farms is ahead of schedule: 116 percent has been accumulated compared to last year.

The second most important front is the provision of feed to the livestock industry. Our benchmarks for this wintering are to get 3.5 million tons of silage and 4.5 million tons of silage. The plan for harvesting sanage has been completed by approximately 90%. Now a large-scale harvesting of corn on a silo is unfolding in the region.

The main emphasis is on quality. The laying of hay trenches is under the most severe technological control: humidity, density of tramping and mandatory use of preservatives are monitored.

— Alexey Ivanovich, autumn is also the time of harvesting vegetables and fruits. What are the achievements of the region in the development of horticulture and vegetable production?

- The development of horticulture and vegetable growing for the Minsk region is a strategic direction of import substitution and year-round provision of our citizens with fresh domestic products.

In open ground vegetable growing, we are aimed at closing the region's need for "borscht set" (potatoes, cabbage, beets, carrots, onions), as well as the development of closed soil.

For the off-season period of 2026/27, the volumes of planting fruit and vegetable products supplied from the stabilization funds of goods for the republican state needs were determined in the amount of 25.94 thousand tons, of which fresh food potatoes - 8.9 thousand tons, fresh cabbage - 3.66, fresh dining beets - 1.45, fresh carrots - 2.46, onions - 2.40, fresh apples - 4.12 thousand tons.

Due to the modernization of greenhouse plants and the introduction of lighting systems, we have significantly reduced dependence on imports in the winter-spring period for cucumbers and tomatoes. Already gives the first product a new energy-saving greenhouse in the UE "Agrocombinat "Zhdanovichi". It is planned to increase the planting of tomatoes with illumination on 7 hectares by November 1.

As for horticulture, here Minshchina is heading for the expansion of the area under intensive gardens. The time of the old, sprawling gardens is over - today the economy is being made by completely different technologies. These are modern plantations on drip irrigation, which enter into fruiting already in the 2nd - 3rd year. The bet is on lean varieties. In 2025, 210 hectares were planted, the current planting is planned on an area of at least 168 hectares.

- "Dazhynki" - a holiday of village workers. This year, thousands of crews were again surprised by the high results. How is the personnel issue resolved during the harvest season and not only: what is the average salary of machine operators in the harvest season and how can young specialists be attracted to the countryside and persuaded to stay?

- In 2026, 1486 crews were involved in the harvesting campaign in Minsk region. Most crews worked in the Nesvizh and Slutsk districts - 119, in the Kopyl district - 110. More than 1,000 tons were threshed by 1,020 harvesters, 723 drivers transported more than 1,000 tons of grain. Among the best harvester Pavel Shutilo - more than 7 thousand tons of hammer, the driver Vitaly Kishko - more than 8 thousand tons for the transportation of grain. Young people are not far behind: the best were Sergey Dubin (more than 4 thousand tons of grain were threshed) and Artem Sitko (more than 6 thousand tons for transportation). As for attracting young people to rural areas, here we work in a set of tasks, namely: the development of agricultural classes, career guidance work with school students, the conclusion of contracts for targeted training of specialists, the creation of conditions for the consolidation of young specialists, including the provision of additional social guarantees, a decent level of wages, comfortable working conditions, housing, the formation of a positive image of agriculture.

- Livestock farming plays a key role in the rural economy. And despite the fact that during the celebration of “Dazhynak” priority is given to grain growers, it is impossible to leave out this important industry. What is it that allows the region’s farms to reach global indicators in terms of milking herd productivity? Are there a lot of new farms in operation this year?

- The business card of Belarus is exported dairy and meat products on the international market. Therefore, in the Minsk region, a steady increase in milk production has been ensured in recent years.

The increase in gross production becomes possible due to the maximum realization of the genetic potential of dairy cow productivity, created through systematic breeding and breeding work. The manifestation of high productive qualities of the dairy livestock was significantly influenced by the global modernization of dairy farms (complexes) and their transition to new modern technologies for keeping livestock, as well as forage production.

There are 622 dairy farms and complexes in the region, of which 370 are modern high-tech complexes, the share of milk production on which is 76.4 percent of the total production in the region.

The average yield of milk from cows in the region for 2025 amounted to 7,178 kilograms, at modern ITCs (MTF) - 7458 kilograms, which is 280 kilograms higher than the regional average and 881 kilograms - the republican average.

The impact of new ITCs on milk production and livestock safety is characterized by such factors as the concentration and growth of milk production, the quality of raw materials (export potential), which allowed to receive 90 percent or more of milk in the extra grade, to ensure the safety of livestock and the health of cattle.

The incentive to reach the world indicators depends not on the volume of livestock, but on strict adherence to technological discipline.

- Alexey Ivanovich, Dzerzhinsk has noticeably changed for the holiday. What was the main focus? And what does the Dazhynki holiday mean to you personally?

- When preparing Dzerzhinsk for the regional festival-fair "Dazhynki-2026" the greatest attention was paid to the complexity and durability: not just predated the city from the outside, but deeply modernized its entire infrastructure for decades to come.

The main idea was that each invested ruble worked to improve the quality of life of citizens.

The main efforts were distributed in key areas. One of them is a large-scale upgrade of the road transport network. 30 central and secondary streets were paved, stop pavilions were replaced, street lighting was arranged and the adjacent territories were comprehensively improved.

Another important area is the deep modernization of housing. In particular, about 13 kilometers of underground engineering networks and water pipes were replaced, residential buildings and social facilities were renovated.

The rethinking of the central space also played an important role. We are talking about the reorganization of the movement in the center, the creation of large-scale pedestrian and recreational areas, including renovated parks, squares and a completely reconstructed Central Square.

Another important area is the introduction of modern comfort standards. New playgrounds have been built in the courtyards and even the first network of charging stations for electric vehicles has appeared.

For me personally, Dazhynki is a holiday that gives an opportunity to express sincere respect for working people. To honor our farmers, whose work ensures the food security of the country, is always a very exciting and inspiring moment. That is why the concept of our renovated area from a bird's eye view repeats the shape of a bread spike.

Of course, Dazhynki is also a long-lasting legacy. The holiday will pass, the guests will disperse, but renovated schools, new roads, modern parks and cozy courtyards will remain. This is the realization that by joint efforts we have given a powerful impetus to the development of Dzerzhinsk and brought it to a completely new level of comfort.

— Alexey Ivanovich, thank you very much for a detailed analysis of the work of the agro-industrial complex of the region.

bernikovich@sb.by