Clever books will tell you in every detail how one should do this or that thing. For example, in order to gather a rich crop or raise milk yield it is necessary just to carefully follow the recommendations the author of the book gives, and anyone who is determined to promote his welfare within the bounds of his private farm holding may in theory succeed in it.
       And what is in practice? Few people can keep the farm according to all the rules and recommendations using only a simple set of spades and pitchforks. Equipment that is much more complex is necessary here. Without going into details, we would just mention that the most vital machinery at the farm is currently both specialized and versatile self- propelled equipment, such as tractors, trailers, movers and many other things. However, even in this case rural life is still not a bed of roses. Only those who work hard from dawn till dark can get any tangible results. Both now and always, these have been the people the state can rely on. And that's whom the most programs on support of a villager work for.
       This time we have managed to ask a few questions to the person having first-hand knowledge of the rural life difficulties. Nikolai Semenovich Burov, the owner of the private farm holding, told about his life, participation in "Private Farm Holding" program and just the problems of country life.
       "I always worked as a driver in the collective farm. My son also followed in my steps. However, one "fine" day, the farm started to experience the problems with payroll distribution, and then also the so-called privatization of collective farms and state farms started," our hero tells. "Like all other collective farmers, my son Valery and I decided to take advantage of it - we received land shares and became farmers. And for already about ten years we work on our land."
       "Will you, please, tell in detail about your farm?"
       "Today my son and I live in the adjacent houses. I have a private farm holding and my son owns a farming enterprise. However, we do almost all the work together and we do not differentiate between "mine" and "not mine". I have five milkers and my son has the same. We have 20 head of pigs and ten head of one-year-old calves each. So, we mostly raise cattle. Meat, dairy products (milk, sour cream, cottage cheese) are the main source of income."
       "We learned from the local newspaper that "Private Farm Holding" program started to work in the republic," Nikolai Burov goes on. "Of course, we looked forward to getting equipment on preferential terms. We decided to take as many items as possible - Belarus-82.1 tractor, a plough, a trailer, a mower and a bailing machine that is necessary at every cattle farm. We gathered documents about the total number of livestock, the size of the land plot, came to the office and sent our request to the city. To our surprise, the answer was not late in arriving - a month later we received a positive answer."
       "It has been almost a year since you received new equipment. Is your work easier now?"
       "Of course, it is! The new tractor, mower and bailing machine are a great help for us. We used to do everything manually and you understand what a hard work it is! Generally speaking, owing to our President Murtaza Rakhimov, favourable conditions are created for villagers in our republic. I wish there were more of such assistance for those who are really eager to work!"
       Indeed, how long will we indulge foreign farmers! It is time for our agriculture to rise from the knees!
       Look at what is sold in our supermarkets! Beef with colouring agents, fowl raised on additives... It comes even to the fact that meet is pumped with special fluid so that it can weight more. The products of rural manufacturers are quite another thing. They are totally natural - real meat, milk, cottage cheese, sour cream...
       However, not all villagers are ready to forget about the rest and devote all their time to the land.
       "You see, the state gives both tractor and all other conditions, but those who want to work are not numerous. I know that there are people in the neighbouring community farms that started to occupy with cattle breeding but soon gave it up. It is hard, they say. Of course, it is! But we do it! Why? The answer is that we love our land."
       Talking to the person working on the land, one can feel the difficulty of his occupation. And the people who started fearless fight with themselves, hard economic conditions and nature itself are real heroes. And the initiative of the Government to sell agricultural equipment by instalments and on preferential terms seems to be more than reasonable! The only thing that is left to us is to rejoice at foresight of the authorities and to wish our hero all the best. Deer Nikolai Semenovich, we wish you rich harvest, no problems with your equipment and above all - good health!"
       Photo by Alexander Yavorsky.