OREANDA-NEWS. August 03, 2010. Belarus will have enough grain in 2010, Deputy Agriculture and Food Minister of Belarus Vasily Pavlovsky told a press conference on 3 August.

This year Belarusian agricultural companies are supposed to gather in 7.5-7.6 million tonnes of grain while individuals will collect around 0.5 million tonnes (excluding corn). The corn crop acre is supposed to increase up to 200,000 hectares, said the Deputy Agriculture and Food Minister.

As of 3 August Belarusian farmers gathered in 67% of the targeted amount of grain crops and leguminous crops, 5 million tonnes of grain with the average yield at 30.6 centners per hectare. The lower yield is attributed to the shorter vegetation period of the crops. Vasily Pavlovsky pointed out that the crop yield is about 8.7 centners per hectare lower than in 2009.

Gomel Oblast and Mogilev Oblast are at the forefront, with over 80% of the harvested acreage of grain crops and leguminous crops mowed. The figure in Brest Oblast is close to 70%, in Vitebsk Oblast, Minsk Oblast, and Grodno Oblast – close to 60%.

Vasily Pavlovsky said temperatures are uneven across the country this year. Due to weather Brest Oblast and Gomel Oblast started harvesting spring-planted colza on 1 August. It had never happened before. The usual harvest start date is late August – early September. There are plans to start mass harvesting spring-planted colza in 15-20 days. Gomel Oblast is suffering from drought, with the yield down by 1.2-1.6 centners per hectare. The state has already bought over half of the planned amount of grain.