Agriculture

The agrarian sector of the region comprises 4 processing and service companies, 10 municipal agricultural unitary enterprises, 5 farms. The unitary company Khoiniki Poleshuk renders services to rural dwellers.

The average annual personnel engaged in the agricultural sector of the region makes about 2,3 thousand people.

As of January 1 of 2006 agricultural lands in the region accounted for 45,9 thousand hectares, of them 23 thousand hectares are arable lands, 22 thousand hectares – meadows, 891 hectares - gardens.

The agricultural sector of the region has to operate in very specific conditions: ameliorated lands account for 50 per cent of the territory; large areas are contaminated with radionuclides.

In 2005 the Khoiniki region came up a leader in the oblastwide competition in crop and forage harvesting. The region produced 35,1 thousand tons of grain, or 21 per cent more over 2004.

In 2005 the region focused on cultivating sugar beet. Last year its yield surged by 44 per cent from 2004, or 33,9 thousand centners or 10,4 thousand tons more as against 2004.

Rapeseed production amounted to 1685 tons having climbed by 22 per cent from 2004.

In 2005 milk yield reached 18,7 thousand tons, or 8 per cent more as a year earlier.

The average annual milk yield made up 3349 kilos, daily increases in weight of cattle and hogs – 476 and 321 grams respectively.

As of the early 2006 there were 18,5 thousands head of livestock in the public sector (including 6,4 thousand head cows), cows -1m3 thousand head. Thus, 4 head of livestock accounted for 100 hectares of farm lands, including 16 cows; 6,5 hogs - for 100 hectares of arable lands.