Fields are gradually emptying: grain crops are already in the storage bins, and their place has been taken by the season for harvesting corn and root crops. Despite the weather's caprices – prolonged heat and a shortage of rain – farmers in the district managed to grow a decent harvest of sugar beet. Now the main task is to promptly deliver the "sweet roots" for processing.

At the Drogichin sugar beet receiving point of OJSC "Zhabinka Sugar Factory," work is in full swing even before the first trucks arrive. The grounds here look immaculate: the cleanliness and order seem to hint that the platforms are fully ready to receive the produce. At the entrance to the administrative building, we are greeted by the branch manager, Fyodor Nikolayevich Zhidkovich.

"Today we are officially opening the season," shares Fyodor Nikolayevich. "For me, this is already the eighth campaign, but the team has some real 'old-timers.' For example, accountant Alyona Skripel and loader operator Viktor Belokurov have been working here for two decades already. Our staff is small – only 10 permanent employees, but at the peak of the season we hire up to twenty additional workers."

The schedule at the beet receiving point is tight: the busy season lasts from September through December. January is spent shipping the remaining raw materials to the factory and bringing the grounds back to immaculate condition before the next cycle.

A sweet gift is presented by Fyodor Nikolayevich Zhidkovich to driver Aleksandr Sergeyevich Koritich.

They approached the current season thoroughly. The weighing and laboratory equipment has been inspected, and the storage areas for the clamps have been updated. Last year, 8,000 square meters were concreted, and this year another 5,000 "squares" of fresh asphalt were added. They didn't forget about routine maintenance either: the aggressive environment and heavy machinery quickly wear down the surface, so pothole repair is a necessity here.

The enterprise allocated about one million rubles for landscaping and infrastructure preparation. Plans for next year include paving two more platforms to make the crop reception process even faster and more convenient. Work is in full swing, and the beet receiving point is ready for the uninterrupted acceptance of the "sweet" cargo.

– We have a busy period ahead – accepting sugar beet from Ivanovo and Drogichin districts. The weather has been unpredictable this year, and this will inevitably affect the harvest. However, based on many years of experience, I am confident: the state order will be fulfilled in full, – says Fyodor Zhidkovich. – Technologies are not standing still. This season, on 1,406 hectares in our district, we have placed our bet on "smart hybrids." This is a modern approach: such crops require less chemical treatment, they are cleaner, and with proper fertilizing, they yield excellent results. Another 128 hectares are sown with classic hybrid seeds.

In our district, only four farms are engaged in beet growing: OAO "Osipovichi," "Bezdezh-Agro," "Alekseyevichi-Agro," and "Lipniksky." In addition to them – the agricultural enterprise "Stolichny Prospekt" of the Zhabynka Sugar Factory, which has been working on our lands for more than one year now. All of them are set decisively: the task is to harvest the crop promptly and deliver it to the factory. The beet collection point has already switched to enhanced mode of operation: it accepts products daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

To avoid queues and confusion, schedules for digging and delivering products have been prepared in advance. The farms work strictly according to them. "Lipniksky" and "Alekseyevichi-Agro" were the first to take to the fields. Before delivery to the collection point, all beet undergoes mandatory additional cleaning right in the field – the buyers must be confident that nothing extraneous will get into the clamps.

Alexander REPIKHA.

Photo by Maxim RODKO.