VITEBSK, 23 December (BelTA) – Residents of Vitebsk Oblast are now entitled to have up to 3 hectares of land for household farming. This measure is envisaged in the regional program to develop household farming for 2011-2015 which was approved today by the Vitebsk oblast council of deputies, BelTA has learnt. Local executive committees, within the scope of their competence and in accordance with the legislation, may allow citizens, upon their applications, to rent additional land plots of up to 3 hectares for household farming. Rural executive committees may, on the request of citizens, allocate lands for collective potato cultivation on the lands of rural settlements. This will allow for greater use of farm machines and of intensive cultivation technology. The program also stipulates that the organizations engaged in seed potatoes growing together with the consumer cooperation societies will plan the production volumes taking into account the sale of seed materials to the population. The authorities also intend to give full support to citizens involved in animal husbandry and beekeeping. According to the Committee on Agriculture and Food of the Vitebsk Oblast Executive Committee, 157,000 families in the region have household plots of the total area of 117,000 hectares of arable land. The share of agricultural products produced by households accounts for 35% of the total agricultural output of the region. Population annually sells 100,000 tonnes of milk as part of government procurement contracts. The committee believes that the implementation of this program will improve the economic situation of citizens engaged in household farming.

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