Agriculture

The Slavgorod District is located in the southern part of the Mogilev Region and has the area of 132,000 ha, of which 38% are agricultural land. The district has 15 major agricultural enterprises producing agricultural products and 2 processing enterprises: OJSC 'Slavgorod Butter and Cheese Factory' and OJSC 'Slavgorod Vegetable Drying Plant'. Production and processing of agricultural produce are the basis of the district's economic development.

The public agricultural sector specialises in milk, meat and cereals. The private agricultural sector produces milk, meat, potatoes, vegetables and cereals for domestic consumption and partially for sale.

One of the major determinants of agricultural production in the Slavgorod District is radioactive contamination of agricultural land. Cases are constantly recorded when both public and private sectors produce goods containing radionuclides in excess of the maximum national permissible level (NPL).

Due to a high radioactive contamination during the post-accident period about 24,556 ha of land have been taken out of agricultural use (Figure ). These are the areas with the 137Cs contamination density over 40 Ci/km2 and for 90Sr - over 3 Ci/km2. Such land cannot be used for crops and animal farming.

At present, the area of agricultural land with 137Cs contamination density over 1 Ci/km2 (over 37 kBq/m2) makes up 88% and that with 90Sr contamination density over 0.15 Ci/km2 (over 5.5 kBq/m2) makes up 9.5%. The highest share of agricultural land with 137Cs contamination density of 5-15 Ci/km2 makes up 72%, and the area with 90Sr contamination density of 0.15-0.30 Ci/km2 makes up 99% (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Distribution of the agricultural land according to density of contamination with 137Cs and 90Sr, %

Milk. Production of milk by the private sector remains the most serious problem. The use of contaminated milk accounts for 40% to 60% of internal human radiation exposure. The number of cows owned by the population is 1,700. The specific activity of milk reaches 260-423 Bq/l. Samples of milk with exceeded NPL have been taken in 26 communities between 1997 and 2003. The main reason for that is pasture of animals in floodplains and forests, and making of hay on the natural land. Another salient feature is that contaminated milk is mostly produced during summer season.

The data provided by the District Sanitary and Epidemiology Station shows the dynamics of annual reduction of the share of milk samples taken from the private sector containing 137Cs in excess of the NPL (Figure 2). Such result was attained owing to the targeted improvement of pastures for the private sector through activities stipulated by the State Programme of Overcoming of the Consequences of the Chernobyl NPP Accident. However, the problem remains.

Figure 2. The share of milk samples with 137Cs concentration taken from the private sector in excess of the NPL¹

(¹The National Permissible Level of ¹³⁷Cs concentration in milk (1993-1995 - RDU-92 (111 Bq/l), 1996-1998 - RDU-96 (111 Bq/l), 1999-2001 - RDU-99 (100 Bq/l)).

In the public sector, the volume of contaminated milk varies from 70 to 200 tons a year, which constitutes 5% of the entire amount.

Thus, further attempts are needed to find methods for improvement of radiological quality of fodder and decrease of contaminated milk production in the private sector. Alongside application of ferrocine-binding agents, it is necessary to bring radiological awareness of the population to new levels.

Cereals. Another very important problem for the district is production of cereals with the exceeded concentration of 90Sr by 7 agricultural enterprises located in the area of 16 communities. The specific activity of cereals reaches 11-13 Bq/kg for 90Sr. There is no data regarding contamination control of cereals grown by the private sector. At the same time, it can be expected that private households may obtain contaminated cereals at their estates located in the above-mentioned communities because technologies of cereals cultivation are not being followed. The volume of cereals production with a high contamination level is not large and such products are used as fodder.

Potato and vegetables. In the recent time, no cases have been recorded when the content of radionuclides in potatoes, vegetables and fruit grown by the private sector exceeded the standard.

Analysis of forecast indicators shows that the content of ¹³⁷Cs in hay made from perennial grass, especially in natural floodplains, and the content of ⁹⁰Sr in grains of oats, wheat, pees and potato tubers consumed by the population may exceed the NPL in the Slavgorod District. Such products may be obtained, most probably, in sod-podzol clay sand and sand, as well as peatlands dominating the soil structure in the Slavgorod District.

Therefore, selection of land for cultivation of agricultural crops and optimisation of agricultural land fertility is the most important direction in radiation protection of the population, making it possible to limit supply of radionuclides to human bodies together through food. It is a fact that only by the liming of acid soil and applying potassium and phosphate fertilizers, it is possible to reduce the carry-over of 137Cs and 90Sr 2-3 times from soil to plants, depending on soil fertility.

The problem of improvement of agricultural land fertility is quite acute in the district. It is necessary to lime 21.0% of the total arable land and 32.6% of hayfields and pastureland. Hence, it is required to apply phosphate and potassium fertilizers on 41.9% and 68.1% of pastureland and on 86.7% and 95.1% of fodder land, respectively. Land used as hayfields and pastures is less fertile than arable land because the amount of fertilizers applied on the former is smaller.

Fodder. Low soil fertility and insufficient application of fertilizers result in a low yield of agricultural crops. Arable land productivity constitutes 26.3 centners of fodder units/ha, while productivity of hayfields and pastureland is 8.6 centners of fodder units/ha (1 centner = 100 kg). The yield of cereals that occupy over half of planted land is 15-18 centner/ha. The volume of potatoes produced by the private sector is reducing, and now this crop occupies only 270 ha. The yield of potatoes is 120 centner/ha. Reduced production of potatoes and vegetables in the Slavgorod District can be explained not by contamination hazard, but by absence of market for it and unbalanced prices for unprocessed and processed materials.

The yield of cereals, potatoes and vegetables in the private sector, as a rule, is not higher, and often lower, than in the public sector and is characterised by a higher level of radionuclide contamination. Products produced in rural areas are the staple diet of the population, forming the dose of their internal exposure. In view of this, it is important to increase radiological awareness of the population related to agriculture.

In addition to production of agricultural products in the public sector and on private land, the district has some farms specializing in crops, animal breeding and bee keeping. Such farms have limited land area ranging from 19 to 35 ha. These private farming entities are at the stage of development and their share in the gross output of the district is very small.

Processing of agricultural products significantly determines intensity of agricultural development, both in the public and private sectors.

The OJSC 'Slavgorod Butter and Cheese Factory'. The processing capacity is 42 tons of milk a shift. The factory produces animal butter, hard cheese and whole milk products. The production capacity of the factory is used only by 55-60% (90% for cheese production). About 60% of cheese is exported, mainly to Russia. 1999-2001 profits were 5.5% on the average. Annually, from 1,500 to 2,100 tons of milk are purchased from the private sector (about 15% of the total amount of purchases). Factory specialists indicate that a possible increase of economic efficacy could be achieved if additional products (churn-milk and whey) enjoying popular demand are processed.

The Slavgorod Vegetable Drying Plant specialises in dry potatoes, vegetables and fruit. The main markets, beside Belarus, include Russia. Baltic firms are also interested. The local population is the main supplier of raw materials for processing. The plant management notes that the available equipment does not allow producing a broad range of products, therefore the scope of purchasing for potatoes, vegetables and fruits is rather limited.

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