News photo: Belarusian folk rite Zasevki-2024 held in Vitebsk District

A few days ago, the weather in the north of Belarus made it possible to start sowing. On April 2nd, the official sowing campaign in the Vitebsk District kicked off in the fields of the Lipovtsy Agricultural Unitary Enterprise with the folk rite of Zasevki [sowing time], sb.by reports.

Archpriest Vladimir Pashkevich, Dean of the Vitebsk District, blessed the beginning of sowing, “Sow as for yourself, as in your own field. Go out into the field with kind thoughts and prayer, and then the harvest will be good.” 

In order for a new crop to be better than the previous one, it was necessary to ‘treat the native land’, to bury a piece of bread from last year's grain in the soil. Then the hostess of the ceremony threw grain into the field in the shape of a cross, so that God would give a harvest to all Christians, other sowers followed her, and then the ploughman and the horse with a harrow closed the crops. Then, the presenter of the ceremony said, ‘Zasevki-2024, godspeed!’, and the equipment started to work: cultivators, sowing-machines, and a seed loader of the enterprise.

The Lipovtsy Agricultural Unitary Enterprise was one of the first in the region to start spring sowing. The first grain was put into the soil on March 19th. After the rite of Zasevki, they began sowing spring wheat. According to the chief agronomist of the farm, Yulia Provalinskaya, it is planned to sow 250 hectares of leguminous crops, 290 hectares of spring cereals, and 2,200 hectares of corn. Perennial and annual grasses will be sown on 2,200 and 800 hectares, respectively.

According to the First Deputy Chairman of the Vitebsk District Executive Committee, the Head of the Department of Agriculture and Food, Piotr Korenkovich, 8,738 hectares of spring grain and leguminous crops are planned to be sown in the Vitebsk District in 2024.

“Sowing is just gaining momentum. For now, grain and leguminous crops have been sown in the area of 532 hectares, which is six per cent. Winter crops have been fertilised, and some farms are already applying an extra fertiliser,” Piotr Korenkovich stated.

The senior researcher at the Vitebsk Zonal Institute of Agriculture, Lyubov Kartavenkova, reminded the heads of farms, chief agronomists who gathered at the Zasevki-2024, the basics of spring sowing, “This includes observing the sowing dates corresponding to each crop, and applying fertilisers. At the moment, it is very important to treat the soil in order to retain moisture, and sow spring grains on time, within 10-12 days. All sowing technologies need to be met to enjoy good harvest.”