The current crop has exceeded all expectations

Harvest time is a special period in the life of any farmer. Soul sings when the combine harvester touches the thick wheat walls and full-bodied golden grain, illuminated by the sun, falls into bunker. All the problems and troubles are forgotten. The good harvest compensated all the stress and worries about this year's drought and late frosts. There is bread! And this is another victory that will go down in the history of the "Svarog corporation " as a feat.

We are talking with F. Antonyuk, senior agronomist of the corporation about the peculiarities of current harvest season. He said that in general, 20,5 thousand hectares of cereals were sown in corporation fields and about 4 thousand of them - winter wheat, basis of our bread. Some areas of this culture gave 57-58 quintals, in the Orshivtsy village ( it is new corporational subdivision near Ivano-Frankivsk) we collected 55 quintals. The average yield of wheat has reached more than 50 tons per hectare. It was 48 quintals last year. We can call this year the Wheat year. Considerable efforts had been made to get such generous harvest. We would have 60 quintals per hectare if the weather was better.

Two seed farms in Gorodishe and Lotovka villages take care of the seeds for next year. They have seeds5-6 times more than needed. So, anyone who wants to buy the promising high-yielding seed varieties, please contact these farms.

- We have experienced that it is better to plant several varieties of wheat, at least four to have a stable yield - says agronomist F. Antoniuk. – For example, one class shows the best results this year and the next year – another class. The same situation we have with barley. We sowed it in the same time but the difference between varieties was 3-4 quintals per hectare. And in subsequent years with other climatic conditions other varieties will show their best.

18 corporations and 11 rented harvesters collected the crop this year. This super-powerful armada of harvesters could harvest the whole yield within 10-12 days. But rain has changed our plans. Everything can’t be perfect.

Virtually all cultures meet and even exceeded the expectations of farmers. Rape was the only culture which failed. It was expected that its yield would reach 40 tons per hectare but we collected only 22. This crop was sown on 4,100 hectares and all the production technologies were followed. But the severe hail destroyed most of the pods. The areas which survived the hail gave up to 35-37 quintals. The last year situation was even worse: there was no sense to handle some areas after the disaster.

- Average yields of all crops is 40-41 quintal per hectare, this is a very good indicator for the northern zone – summarizes our conversation F. Antoniuk. – On September 20-25 we will start thresh the soybeans and corn - in early October. In short, everything goes according to plan. Farmers are in good mood. This is quite clear: there is a harvest, so there will be welfare for the corporation and its employees.