Donetsk, Mar 23 — DAN. The planting season in the Donetsk People’s Republic has begun according to schedule as farmers across the DPR are sowing spring cereals. Donetsk News Agency correspondents visited an agribusiness to see farmers’ work and challenges.
The last field in the Starobeshevo district was sown with spring barley on Thursday. “Fortuna Starobeshevo” farm director Sergey Fyodorov said that a warm and snowless winter had caused active spreading of soil-borne diseases and pests, though a rainy autumn somewhat mitigated the problem. “The soil is moist so the farmers are hoping for a good harvest, ” Fyodorov said.
“We’ve planted into moist soil, and are waiting for the rain, ” he said. “The company had two pieces of equipment out in the field on Thursday, a tractor and a sowing machine. The other machinery was used for winter wheat topdressing.”
DPR Agriculture and Food Minister Andrey Kramarenko said that the Starobeshevo district is among the top three areas by meeting spring crops planting targets. As of now, it has fulfilled 36 percent of the plan. DPR government Chairman Vitaly Khotsenko said that DPR farmers have already sown more than 11,000 hectares with crops, or 21 percent of the farmland.
The planting season in the Republic began on March 15.*jk