Regional farms are taking a set of measures to compensate for the shortage of first and second cuttings of grass
High temperatures and lack of moisture clearly had an impact on forage procurement: the volumes that were harvested were not the ones that were planned. In an unusual situation, the hope lies in corn: with a good harvest, it can solve the problem of feed supply to support livestock production. Fortunately, the culture has become ugly. The region is actively harvesting it for silage.
The equipment of the Avangard agricultural subsidiary of the Mogilev region began harvesting corn at the end of August. The first haylage trench was laid on the 25th. By the time the farm has 950 hectares to harvest, all the corn will be used for silage. Avangard came to this decision consciously, explains deputy director Anatoly Kapashilov :
— Last year we received 500 tons of grain. But this year the corn is a little worse, so we will put everything into silage. A third of the area has already been cleared. When the time for fodder harvesting began, there were justified concerns. We didn’t get enough grass, and there was no corn. In the 30 years that I have been working in agriculture, this is the first time, it seems to me, that there has been such nonsense. In July, culture was nothing. But already in August the weather was warm and there was enough moisture. In just a month, the corn stretched out and became even.
Anatoly Grigorievich gives a clearly calculated breakdown of how much feed they need to ensure the uninterrupted operation of the livestock complex. So, today 15.9 thousand tons of haylage have been laid, 17.5 thousand are needed. In July, 120 hectares of oilseed radish were sown. They plan to obtain the required two thousand, thereby obtaining the required volume of haylage. As for silage, 10.8 thousand tons have already been prepared, 25 thousand are needed. Taking into account corn, they plan to close this figure as well. Thus, for a livestock of 5430, we will create a supply of feed for a year and a month.
“Today we are threshing the first fields better.” The yield is about 420 centners per hectare. Of course, we won’t reach the conclusion with such a figure. But of the 60 percent that remains to be removed, we will get 15 thousand tons, maybe more,” Anatoly Kapashilov calculates.
Now it is important to harvest the corn on time - in the waxy ripeness phase. After all, thereby it is better absorbed and has a higher nutritional value. In addition, at this stage, fiber, which is indigestible for the cow, has not yet grown in the green mass. Therefore, the timing, notes Anatoly Grigorievich, is very important:
“This year is extraordinary; we could have harvested corn two weeks later.” But again, there are risks that unfavorable weather will set in and frosts will begin. The second point is technology. It is important to prepare silage correctly: lay it at the optimal time using the right amount of preservatives. The green mass is tamped with a preservative - lactic acid bacteria helps to ferment this mass faster. Well, then seal the trench hermetically.
For grassy feed, the ideal ratio in the diet is 50 percent haylage and the same amount of silage. This is the optimal cocktail for the health of the cow and plus milk yield. But you still need well-balanced feed. Avangard has its own feed mill. Here they can make it of high quality, but protein is known to be expensive. Therefore, the protein issue is partially solved by rapeseed - this year they received a thousand tons.
— We have our own rapeseed line. We squeeze out the culture and get cake and oil. This is enough for cattle. But we are increasing the number of pigs; in fact, we started selling pork only in the first month. Almost since May last year we have been increasing our livestock; today we have more than nine thousand pigs. That’s why there are still questions about protein,” notes Anatoly Kapashilov . “That’s why the ratio of cattle feeding rations is 40 percent haylage and 60 percent silage. If in summer the feed situation caused concern, then thanks to corn it has leveled off.
In the Mogilev region, 40 percent of the area—3,800 hectares—has been harvested for silage, and 85 thousand tons of silage have been stored. First Deputy Head of the Department of Agriculture and Food of the Mogilev District Executive Committee Gennady Davydov believes that the region has all the reserves to complete the harvest within the agrotechnical time frame:
— This year, less haylage was laid, but agricultural enterprises continue to harvest clover and alfalfa. We are gradually starting to harvest corn for grain. The yield of this crop for green mass is better than last year. There is enough technology. Only JSC Mogilevsky Lenok purchased a new forage harvester for the season. I would like more equipment for transportation. The main thing is to have time to remove before significant frosts. In terms of feeding balance, each agricultural enterprise chooses its own strategy. SJSC Servolux purchases both soybean and sunflower meals. Those who have a significant number of cattle rely on rapeseed cake. Sowing of winter crops today is at 65 percent. Elite seeds were delivered almost in full. There is only one task - you need to remove everything that you grew: corn, potatoes, vegetables. No loss or damage to quality.
19.3 feed units per conventional head of livestock have already been prepared in the Mogilev region. As of yesterday morning, 38 percent of corn for silage in the region was harvested - 47.6 thousand hectares, green mass - over 1 million 280 thousand tons. The yield is higher than 269 centners per hectare compared to 250 last year. The leader is the Klichevsky district, where almost 70 percent of the area has already been cleared.
First Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture and Food of the Mogilev Regional Executive Committee Ilya Malchevsky notes that corn harvesting is under increased control of the regional agricultural food supply:
“We didn’t get enough haylage due to weather conditions, so we’re betting on the queen of the fields.” The weather is favorable for farmers; there have been no frosts: the corn is still wet, and this is important for preserving the nutritional value of feed and felling. The most optimal harvesting phase is milky-wax ripeness. The main thing is the dictatorship of technology during cleaning. Our technology teams ensure that every combine is equipped with corn crackers to regrind the corn kernels. If a cow eats uncrushed corn grain, it will pass through it in “transit”.
According to Ilya Malchevsky, the pace of feed procurement depends primarily on the organizational abilities of local managers:
— The southern regions started cleaning earlier. But in the Belynichi district, for example, 41 percent were removed, Kostyukovichi in the southeast - 48. Last year, by decision of the regional executive committee, seven additional mechanical detachments were created in the districts, and high-performance forage harvesters were purchased. The bet was that they would provide assistance to other agricultural enterprises.
TO THE POINT
To ensure the operation of the livestock industry in the Mogilev region, it is necessary to prepare more than 2 million tons of silage and 1.7 million tons of haylage.
