Igor Khvaschevsky is a participant of the ENI-LLB-1-117 project "Green Agriculture without Borders" of the Latvia-Lithuania-Belarus Cross-Border Cooperation Program within the framework of the European Neighborhood Instrument for 2014 – 2020 gg. https://robimrazam.by/vendors/lph-hvashhevskij/
The local economy (TG): Igor, products with eco labels are in great demand today, "was". Tell me, why did you decide to grow organic products?
Igor Khvaschevsky (THEM): We have two farms - a personal subsidiary farm "Khvaschevsky" and a farm "Vermi Ecoproduct", which we founded as a family business. Both farms have been using organic farming methods since their founding in 2011 and 2014 years respectively.
To prove, that our products are truly environmentally friendly, we with 2014 carried out organic certification for manufactured products, which allowed us to expand the market for our products, as having a quality certificate for organic products, we can supply our vegetables and berries not only to the domestic market of Belarus, but also to the European market.
LPH Khvaschevsky and the Vermi Ecoproduct farm were one of the first in the country to receive an EU green certificate for land
and agricultural products.
TG: What was the impetus for growing organic products?
THEM: Our Khvaschevsky family took up organic farming partly forcibly. We constantly needed environmentally friendly products, because my children are allergic. Unfortunately, in stores organic products as of 2011 – 2014 gg. practically
was not presented. Therefore, we decided to grow organic products ourselves. Gradually, our family-run eco-business grew in volume - and in land area, and, respectively, by the volume of cultivated products.
On 33 hectares of farmland in the season we grow black currant berries, potatoes, beets, carrot, bow, zucchini, pumpkin and greens. WITH 2018 years we began to grow Jerusalem artichoke - a valuable forage crop, used in animal husbandry in the form of tubers and green mass from which silage and dry granules can be produced, which are high-energy animal feed and have long shelf life.
The farm "Vermi Ecoproduct" and the private farm "Khvaschevsky" are one of the partners of the Grodno regional association of farmers in the implementation of the environmental initiative "Adaptation to the conditions of climate change in the production of feed for livestock, reducing the negative impact on the environment ", within the framework of the ICP project "Public involvement in environmental monitoring and improvement of environmental management at the local level" 2019-2021 gg., funded by the EU and implemented by the United Nations Development Program in partnership with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus.
This project supports environmental initiatives, aimed at promoting effective and inclusive environmental management by involving the public in the development and implementation of measures to improve the quality of the environment, as well as monitoring of environmental risks, including through the exchange of environmental information, in particular, in the field of ambient air quality.
As part of the environmental initiative, a specialist of the State Scientific and Production Association “Scientific Research Center of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus for Bioresources” is conducting a study to assess the change in the state of the ecosystem from the cultivation of climate-resistant crops, which Jerusalem artichoke belongs to, theoretically green mass 1 a hectare of Jerusalem artichoke absorbs a year before 6 tons of carbon dioxide and gives off oxygen. Compared to forests, which consume everything 3-4 tons of CO2 per year, this culture is considered much more efficient, which we have to prove.
TG: Organic products are marketed as healthier, hypoallergenic, which are not grown using chemicals, pesticides, synthetic mineral fertilizers, GMO. Do you use chemistry, when the plant is sick or using only natural methods?
THEM: In our farms for growing products, we
we do not use chemical fertilizers and pesticides, we use our own fertilizer based on vermicompost.
WITH 2013 Years on the farm began the production and use of liquid humic fertilizer based on comfrey.
As I already said, our farm in 2014 received a certificate, confirming, what products, grown on site, organic.
At least once a year, certifying organizations check organic farms for compliance with standards. Moreover, the entire production chain is tested., from the state of the soil to the harvest. Processing controlled, storage, transportation and sale of "green" goods.
By the way, thanks to the healthier land, the plants become less sick. We forgot, what is late blight and Colorado potato beetle.
TG: How eco-products differ from ordinary store products?
THEM: Answering this question, I will say, that there are two points as positive, so negative.
Negative – price - organic products are more expensive than conventional ones, as for the production of this type of product more manual labor is spent. The cost of "green" products includes additional costs for certification. To switch to organic farming, you need to completely change agricultural equipment and technologies. And this is also a cost and not small.
Positive - benefit, which a person receives for his health when eating clean ecological products. In organic vegetables, fruit, berries contain more vitamins and antioxidants. The presence of residual pesticides in organic products is completely excluded. On organic farms, farms include
respecting the environment. Land and water are not polluted by harmful effluents, and biodiversity reigns in the field. By eating clean, organic foods, the person will feel healthy and strong.
TG: Igor, our traditional question - what would you advise and wish to novice farmers, by, who decided to grow exactly environmentally friendly products?
THEM: Where and how to grow organic products is your choice, but if you decide to use your land for the cultivation of ecological products, you need to prove, that your product is produced without chemicals, having received the appropriate certificate for this. To get "organic" status, you have to pass more than one test.
I do not exclude, what additional education will be required, knowledge, skills, to start growing organic food properly.
Need to find like-minded people, people close to you, sharing your view of the world.
Well, and most importantly, eating organic food, You are guaranteed health and well-being, as they can really saturate your body with useful trace elements and vitamins!
LPH "Khvaschevsky" and FH "Vermi Ecoproduct"
Head of farms: Igor Khvaschevsky
Farm address: Republic of Belarus, The Grodno region, Smorgon district, Chukhny village
contact number: +375 44 725 98 03; + 375 44 724 84 83
E-mail address: hvashevskaya_elena@inbox.ru
Interview was conducted by Julia Koroleva, EVIL “MAP ZAO” Minsk district
