Agriculture

The Chechersk District is located in the northern part of the Gomel Region and takes up the area of 123,000 ha, of which 32.9% or 41,200 ha are occupied by agricultural land. The arable land covers 69.2%, hayfields and pastures -- 30.8% of the entire agricultural area (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Explication of agricultural land

Economic development of the district is based on agricultural production. The district houses 13 agricultural and 2 processing enterprises: the Chechersk Wine Plant and the vegetable processing plant.

The Chechersk Wine Plant is one of the most profitable enterprises of the district. Sources of raw material are fruit products from the public and private sectors. The vegetable processing plant is closed for the time being; it requires reconstruction and retrofit. The plant is owned by the Collective Farm 'Znamya Kommunizma'.

Public agricultural production specializes in dairy and meat products, and cereals. The main agricultural products from the private sector are milk, meat, potato, vegetables and grains intended for private consumption and sale.

The Chechersk District is classified as an affected district of the Gomel Region. 12,374 ha with high contamination density have been removed from agricultural use.

The area of agricultural land with ¹³⁷Cs contamination density over 1 Ci/km² (over 37 kBq/m²) makes up 100%; the area of agricultural land with ⁹⁰Sr contamination density over 0.15 Ci/km² (over 5,5 kBq/m²) makes up 31%. The highest percentage of contaminated agricultural land with ¹³⁷Cs density of 5-15 Ci/km² is 44%, that with ⁹⁰Sr contamination density of 0.15-0.50 Ci/km² is 27,2% (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Distribution of the agricultural land according to density of contamination with ¹³⁷Cs and ⁹⁰Sr, %.

Radioactive contamination of the agricultural land (and consequently agricultural products) is one of the prime determinants of the agricultural production sector in the Chechersk District.

Milk. The total number of cattle in the Chechersk District is dropping (Figure 3) from year to year. Currently, the public sector includes about 12,500 animals, of which 5,000 are cows. The private sector includes 1,775 cows. The output of milk in the district is 9,500 tons a year. The milk yield per cow is 2,200 kg a year. Milk production is unprofitable.

Figure 3. Dynamics of cattle number in the public and private sectors, thousand animals

The private sector has been found to normally produce milk with the radionuclide concentration exceeding the republican permissible level (RPL). In 2003, 27 communities of the district reported cases of milk contamination with ¹³⁷Cs and in 2 towns - with ⁹⁰Sr contamination in excess of the standard level. The highest levels of ¹³⁷Cs contamination found in samples (over 300 Bq ¹³⁷Cs/l) have been recorded in the villages of Starye Malynichi, Motnevichi, Ottor, and Sidorovichi. There have been cases when milk was produced by private households with ⁹⁰Sr contamination above permissible levels (in the villages of Kuklichi and Alekseevka). During 2000-2002, milk that didn't conform to radiation safety standards was coming from 8 public-sector farms amounting to 45% of the produce taken in.

To a smaller extent, this problem concerns production of cattle meat. The return of cattle in 1999-2001 constituted 2-5 animals a year, in 2002 - 1 animal. Beef raising is one of the most promising areas of agricultural production in the private sector.

Crop production. Crop production in the public sector of the Chechersk District specializes in growing of cereals. The private sector grows potato, grains and vegetables.

Analysis of crop production in the public sector shows a low yield of agricultural crops. The yield of winter cereals varies broadly from 12 to 33 centners (100 kg)/ha. The yield of potato and root crops amounts to 80 and 250 centners (100 kg)/ha on the average, respectively. Low productivity is typical of hayfields and pasturelands - 25 centners of hay/ha. Normally the yield of crops in the private sector is greater than in the public sector.

The soil and climatic conditions of the district make it possible to obtain higher output of agricultural crops, provided their cultivation technologies are followed. This is proved by the data presented in Figure 4. To increase efficacy of agricultural production and obtain products with radionuclide concentration within the established standards (as recommended by the NPL), it is necessary to pay attention to selection of crops and their location in the fields depending on the nature and density of contamination and soil fertility, and to develop fertilizing.

Figure 4. Dynamics of yields of agricultural crops, %

Cereals. Production of food grains is a very important issue for the district. The share of cereals constitutes 50% of the sown area owned by the public sector. In 1999-2002, the annual production was 400-800 tons of grains with ⁹⁰Sr contamination in 7 agricultural enterprises. The specific activity of grains reaches 15 Bq/kg as regards ⁹⁰Sr. The volume of contaminated grains constitutes 3-4% of the total grain harvest of the district.

Potato. Potato is a traditional crop in the district, occupying over half of the private household land. Data analysis has shown that potato yield is not high, i.e. 80-150 centners/ha, with the radionuclide concentration within the NPL parameters. However, the analysis of forecast indicators testifies to the probability of contaminated potato being grown. Therefore, radiological control of potato quality is needed.

The potato area in the public sector has been reduced, currently constituting only 510 ha or 1.8% of all arable land.

Fruit and vegetables. The major part of fruit and vegetables is produced for private consumption. In the recent time, no cases have been recorded of exceeded content of radionuclides in vegetables and fruit grown in the public and private sectors. The population shows interest in production of vegetables outdoors and indoors for sale as an additional family income opportunity.

The level of production and radiological quality of agricultural products are determined by soil fertility. The average weighted grade of arable land is 36[ ]; the average weighted grade of all agricultural land is 35. The lowest grade of arable land was in the entities 'Kommunar', 'Nisimkovichi' and 'Sozh' - 23-28 grades.

One of the problems facing the district is rehabilitation of land that was removed from agricultural use. Rehabilitation of soil fertility on such land requires additional investments.

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Analysis of development of agricultural production in the Chechersk District points at the potential for improving quality and increasing output of crops and animal farming both in the private and public sectors.

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[1] 1 grade of arable land ensures, through natural soil fertility, an incremental output of 50 kg of grains or 280 kg of potato.

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