There's no sea, but there's black caviar. How a private enterprise produces premium products with great export potential.

The production facility in question has transformed into a showcase in just ten years. Indeed, it's a success, as business partners are now confidently invited here to demonstrate how to run such a truly clean business . Soon, the multi-industry enterprise, DG-Center CJSC, will become an excellent industrial tourism destination, combining its two unique production facilities, located within walking distance of each other. Then, any tourist will be able to admire the diversity of Belarusian premium manufacturing, Belarusian business activity in the regions, and the country's investment appeal.

 

We started with genetics
. We were a construction company, and with the goal of building economic security, we always considered alternative investment opportunities, as this strategy creates long-term economic security. We focused on exports and premium food products , as they are less susceptible to macroeconomic risks. " Belarus is renowned for the hard work of its citizens and the high standards and quality of its food products," recalls Vladimir Dovgyallo, DIRECTOR of DG-Center CJSC. "
An idea is one thing, and its implementation is quite another. Black caviar production requires mature female sturgeon, which are approximately 10-11 years old. However, this species is endangered and is prohibited for fishing everywhere. Only human-reproduced sturgeon stocks, registered and monitored under the international CITES convention, can be used as a raw material source." However, creating conditions for maturation, organizing a feeding program, and monitoring maturity stages through ultrasound and microscopic examination of the caviar were not the key strategic issues for this company. What was needed was something that would allow them to claim one of the best flavors in the world and also reach the highest level of black caviar as a product category. 
The key to success and that velvety note in the taste was perfectly clean water. Water has a key influence on the organoleptic properties of the caviar, providing optimal conditions for the female sturgeon. 
it took about a year and a half to construct the RAS (recirculating aquaculture system) plant building. Work was in full swing in two directions simultaneously. In the recirculating aquaculture system workshop, built from scratch, proprietary know-how was implemented, creating "aggressive water purity." AnyFish entering the plant's waters, including sturgeon, are purified at the molecular level, returning the fish and the eggs within to a pristine state—the way nature intended. 
At the same time, a detailed study of the genetic potential of sturgeon species found in various countries around the world was underway. 
"There were numerous experiments, so by the time the plant launched, we already had a clear idea of ​​where, with whom, and with what specific raw materials we would be working," explains the director. 

Sturgeon... in the Maldives.  
Have Belarusians really managed to recreate the entire caviar production process as it exists in RUSSIA, Azerbaijan, the usa , Europe, and Iran? It turns out, no! We've done it better! At some plants scattered around the world, the conditions in which sturgeon are kept can be such that you can't even see a fish in the water. Because the water is so murky. "Fish-keeping experts have already nicknamed our facility the Maldives for sturgeon," Vladimir notes proudly. "The fact is that water purity affects both the fish and the caviar. But I'll reveal one of our secrets. Our facility has an ozone generator—a natural gas whose molecule can be unstable under certain specified physical conditions. The interaction of clean water, supersaturated with oxygen O2 and active isotopes O, which, in turn, are the result of ozone O3, which is unstable in our conditions, causes an active energy exchange at the molecular level with the fish body and its caviar. This occurs because the fish body has its own energy potential, which enters into an active exchange with the molecules of perfectly clean water. That's why all the fish andThe caviar at our facility has a crystal-clear taste and even a slightly creamy aftertaste.  
Let's do an ultrasound.
As noted, only mature female sturgeons are capable of producing caviar. But that's only half the battle. You still have to get the caviar. It turns out that the most important, crucial step is determining the stage of maturity of the eggs inside the fish. 
"For this, we use short-wave ultrasound, which can also determine the diameter of the eggs. On the monitor screen, we see these tiny "peas" and how they are arranged inside the fish's body. From the image, we can even estimate the percentage of finished product yield. The better the result, the better, indicating that the HEAD fish farmer and the feeding system have been properly managed," the interviewee explains.  However

, ultrasound diagnostics may not be enough. The eggs are even examined under a microscope to see how their nuclei move toward the wall of the shell. This allows us to determine the stage of maturity of the eggs. To conduct this study, the sample is fixed in a special solution, after which the entire egg becomes solid and can be split in half with a blade. The precise stage of maturity, specifically the polarization coefficient, is determined by the position and distance between the nucleus and the shell walls. 
There are only two methods of producing black caviar
in the world. The classic, traditional method is slaughter. In this case, the caviar is obtained from a single specimen. This caviar is simply sieved and salted, and the purest product with biologically active proteins and amino acids is ready. 
Against the backdrop of the disappearing sturgeon population in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, a "milking" method was also developed. This involves injecting fish kept under specific temperature conditions with a hormone, and extracting the overripe, mushy caviar.The fish undergoes minor surgery, but the hormone in its body alters the protein coating of the caviar itself, leading to its destruction. The only way to "preserve" black caviar is by boiling it. Although this method is the cheapest and allows for multiple caviar harvests, it significantly reduces both the organoleptic properties and the functional benefits of the product. This type of caviar is easy to identify: it is usually dull, sometimes dented, and has a fairly hard shell (you can even roll it across a table without it bursting). Slaughtered caviar, on the other hand, bursts from the gentlest touch to the palate.
"In fact, in both cases we have black caviar, but for experts, milking caviar is a completely different, low-grade product," continues Vladimir Dovgyallo. "It is physically different, and there is a difference from a functional point of view, since the protein and amino acids are already suppressed by heat treatment. At the same time, we cannot say that this is a fake; it is simply impossible to compare this option with classic slaughtered products - expensive and healthy. 

That is why it is so delicious
. ZAO DG-Center produces only slaughtered black caviar. They are confident that to successfully work with foreign partners, you need to adhere to the open book principle, so that you can clearly demonstrate your production, technology, and documentation at any time. Only then does complete trust arise, and all questions are removed. All, except one: Why is Belarusian caviar so delicious?
The impeccable taste of this premium domestic product was established back in 2019 in Moscow at a blind tasting of black caviar from a variety of global producers. Sturgeon caviar (albino sterlet) also won the Best Products of the Republic of Belarus competition. 
“After winning in Moscow, we actively began receiving new EXPORT orders,” says Vladimir. “This is a fantastic result, which we have been working towards together with our loyal partner for many years, Belarusbank. They supported all the ideas related to potential new production. We prepared business plans, and the bank announced the terms of the loan. In my opinion, this is a wonderful example of public-private partnership. 
From 2020 to 2024 , the company learned to operate in conditions where it is practically impossible to purchase raw materials, receive payment for products, or ship them via air travel , while at the same time steadily increasing production. And yet, for Belarusians, the impossible is possible. They really want to do the best here, to produce quality products, sell them well, and, as a result, strengthen our country's economy.

A union of people and their ideas
The company had long been considering another innovative and import-substituting idea: producing distillates using domestically produced raw materials. They conceived it and brought it to fruition! With the support of Belarusbank, the Soyuz distillery was established, at the heart of which lies the country's first classic Scottish copper alambic still. The distillery is considered to have significant potential for developing industrial tourism.
"I believe it's entirely possible to combine two production facilities in this sense—one producing black caviar and the other producing fine spirits using our distillates. At the same time, our production doesn't compete with existing plants in Belarus. On the contrary, the spirits produced in special copper stills differ in their physicochemical properties from those produced at distilleries. Therefore, our existing production facility seamlessly complements the ALCOHOL industry, enriches the range of domestic spirits, and, through industrial cooperation and spirits exchange, enables the production of new products with new quality characteristics and greater export potential." "Furthermore, the enterprise has installed a device that makes it technically feasible to traditionally produce a new type of product using a complex of aromatic herbs," the interviewee concludes. "  
This is not just a new facility, but an important milestone in improving the country's raw material and economic independence. Import substitution has become a key pillar of Belarus's economic strategy. Developing domestic production of this type will create new jobs and develop industrial tourism, significantly reduce the cost of importing raw materials and alcoholic beverages from unfriendly countries, improve the trade balance, and ensure stability in the domestic market. Furthermore, the use of local raw materials and the latest technologies will enable the production of products of the highest quality, opening up new export prospects."