Promising business - Belarus ' experimental farms harvesting sunflowers

Belarusian sunflower oil is a near-term prospect. The experimental farms of the country have started harvesting sunflowers and storing seeds. The farmers are already evaluating the first yields, about 30 quintals per hectare - the result is at the level of the world producers. Thermophilic culture was adapted to our latitudes by local scientists - they picked up special varieties and developed cultivation technology. And now there is no doubt that the sunflower has a future.

After drying, the sunflower seeds are sent to a warehouse. About 120 tons are stored here. They are already cleaned and ready for sale. In a few weeks, they will be sent for processing.

Victor Goncharuk, associate professor at Grodno Agrarian University, has been working on this issue for several years. He says our climate has become milder, we have enough moisture and cultivation technologies have been developed. Belarusian agrarians can easily compete with producers from southern countries.

Viktor Goncharuk, associate professor at Grodno State Agrarian University:

“Belarus annually buys about 100 thousand tons of sunflower oil for consumption and about 700 thousand tons of sunflower meal. The main thing is accurate and precise observance of cultivation technology. Sunflower belongs to the following category of crops: if you invest in this crop, it will always repay you twice as much.”

About two thousand hectares of sunflower are sown in Belarus. Agrarians will need at least another three weeks to harvest them.