Rustam Minnikhanov inspects harvesting campaign in Baltasi region

On September 8, Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov paid a working visit to Baltasi municipal region of the republic to inspect the course of the harvesting campaign and implementation of various state programmes in the region.

Minister of Agriculture and Food of the republic Marat Akhmetov and Head of the region Ramil Nutfullin accompanied Minnikhanov.

At a traditional meeting with representatives of agricultural enterprises in a potato field near the village of Staraya Salaus, Nutfullin briefly reported on the situation in the fields. In particular, he noted that 26.2 of 34.1 thousand hectares (77 per cent) of grains have been harvested, with an average yield of 39.4 centners per hectare. To date, farmers have threshed 103,000 tonnes of grain. Nutfullin assured that all grains will be harvested within the next three-four days.

Potato harvest started a few days ago. A total of 245 hectares were sown with potatoes in the region. According to farmers, it is expected to harvest 200 centners of potatoes per hectare. In total, it is planned to pick up to 5,000 tonnes of potatoes.

The sowing of winter crops has already been completed. As noted at the meeting, a total of 8,400 hectares were sown with winter rye, and 3,700 hectares with winter wheat.

As for the livestock sector, the number of cattle in the region reaches 53,000 heads, 16,700 of them are milk cows, up three per cent against the year-ago period. Last year, 67,500 tonnes of milk were produced, this year it is expected to produce 72,300 tonnes.

Speakinga at the meeting, Minnikhanov stressed that grain farmers should work as hard as they can within the next few days. He said that it is necessary to complete harvesting as soon as possible, making the most use of every day when the weather is nice.

After that, Minnikhanov visited a repaired kindergarten in the village of Staraya Salaus. The building was built in 1983. Major repairs have started in January this year as part of the regional programme.