Belarus aims for self-sufficiency in feed production
In 2013 Belarus plans to increase the share of feed crop cultivation by 250,000 hectares, according to an announcement by Eroma Urban, Deputy Director General for Research Republican Unitary Enterprise «Scientific-Practical Center of Agriculture in Belarus».
The hope is that this step will allow the country to stop feed import this year, which is very costly.
The Ministry of Agriculture of Belarus have estimated that the country is importing about 500,000 tonnes of feed protein annually, in the form of wheat, soy and corn at a total cost of US$300 mln.
Therefore the country is aiming at significantly boosting the share of leguminous crop cultivation, which in total will be 2.5 mln hectares. The government also plans to expand the cultivation of oilseed rape crops. This year it will occupy 459,000 hectares of agricultural lands, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.
As a result Belarus hopes to collect 10.9 million tonnes of grain and 963 tonnes of rapeseed, this year. With regard to self-sufficiency in feed production the aim is to increase production in the livestock industry. If compound feed is cheaper the country can to produce 6.8 million tonnes of milk, which is about 0.8 million tonnes more compared to last year.