In this publication

COVER STORY

Milk Embarrassment

Passage of the first “Technical Milk And Dairy Products Regulations” in the form of a federal law is a rather ambiguous event for the cattle breeding industry. On the one hand, the law has to boost demand for high quality raw stuff. This is expected to drive up raw milk purchase price thus stimulating farmers to increasingly use modern production technologies. On the other hand, most farmers can find themselves in a difficult situation because of the regulations’ rigid requirements. Only 20-30% of the dairy farms are able to meet them, according to experts.

Plant Growing

Point of View

Battle For Profit p. 16

In profit distribution on the agricultural market, producers get the least share, processors’ share is a bit larger, while the lion’s share of profits go to retail chains. The main reason is the lack of clear rules in trading, thinks Victor Semyonov, the State Duma deputy and the head of the enterpreneurship in agriculture and industry committee at the Chamber of Trade and Commerce of Russia.

TEST DRIVE

Amity, 24-Row

Seeding Machine p. 18

Tilling 24-row precision sowing seeding machine by Amity Technology, with the 56 centimeters between rows, is in high demand with US farmers. According to the company, about 90% of sugar beet growers in Minnesota and North Dakota seed at rows 56 centimeters away from each other, while others seed at 45, 51 and 76 centimeters. Transition to the new space between rows will significantly increase the sugar yield per hectare of beet, producers claim.

Technologies

Beginning from

Scratch p. 22

No-till land cultivation technology is slow to be adopted in our country. Farmers do know about its benefits such as economy of material resources, soil quality preservation, profitability increase, etc. But in practice, experiments sometimes leave farmers without harvest and they, in disappointment, give up the new technology. Surely, transition to no-till is associated with some risks and difficulties but the right actions allow to avoid troubles or bring them to minimum.

There Are Different

Sorts, You Know p. 30

Advantages of hybrid seeds over traditional ones (as well as shortcomings) are obvious and well-known. Any agronomy textbook would say that hybrid seeds bring fruits similar in size and shape which is very convenient during mechanical harvesting. But practice differs from theory.

Heading for Biology p. 36

In many countries, environment-friendly way of farming is becoming a conventional method in agriculture, thus spurring the usage of biological protectors in recent years. This is caused both by «fashion» on ecologically clean products (consumers are ready to accept a 20-70% markup) as well as real be-nefits from using biological preparations, specialists claim. In Russia bioagents are only beginning to come into use.

Equipment

Useful Facilities? p. 42

Agricultural equipment market is highly diverse, the range of domestic and foreign machines increases constantly, new technologies come into use. According to experts, installation of additional equipment can increase a machine price by 30%. While choosing equipment, it is very important to focus on a farm’s real needs so that, in pursuit of novelties, not to forget about its efficiency and economic suitability.

Cattle Breeding

Point of View

Reconstruction Without Mistakes p. 48

Russian pig breeding is based mainly in giant industrial pig breeding complexes built in the Soviet Union. At that time, issues of resource-saving, efficiency, ecology and comfort for animals were largely ignored. Directors of pig breeding complexes see the necessity to reconstruct, but fail to move on because of the lack of funds or clear understanding, what and in what sequence to do.

TECHNOLOGIES

Cows' Free Rein p. 54

Today, the progress in cattle breeding is illustrated by the technology of free-rein, stalled keeping of cows and their milking in industrial milking workshops. This technology is a future, almost all experts agree. But in real life, not all Russian cattle breeders are in the rush to pass to free rein.

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