It's not the first time they break records. The Zhdanovichi agro-industrial complex shows how to stand firmly on the ground

News of the topic Over the course of more than a century of development, the Zhdanovichi agro-industrial complex has become a large agricultural complex. Its lands begin several dozen kilometers from the Moscow Ring Road: greenhouses, production facilities, dairy farms, and orchards scattered across different areas of the central region. The scale, both industrial and infrastructural, is astounding, but no one intends to put an end to the history of the agricultural enterprise: new facilities are being built, new crops are being developed, unique production lines are being launched, and the range of products is expanding. What is it like to guard the republic's food security for more than 105 years? BELTA correspondents found the answer on the eve of the professional holiday by visiting workers in greenhouses, workshops, and farms.

A dairy farm will appear in the Dzerzhinsky district and a greenhouse complex - in MINSK

Most Belarusians, when mentioning the agro-industrial complex "Zhdanovichi", will first of all remember vegetables - tomatoes and cucumbers, which are grown here in closed ground on an area of ​​about 18.4 hectares, or about roses, of which 11 varieties are grown here and sold throughout the capital. However, Deputy General DIRECTOR - Chief Engineer Alexey Petrusha emphasizes: "Today we are a multi-industry agricultural enterprise and are working on updating our image on the market."
"The history of the enterprise begins in 1919, when the Tarasovsky Klyuch people's estate was created. The starting point of its modern stage can be considered 1959, when by order of the Ministry of Agriculture of the BSSR, five collective farms were united into the Zhdanovichi state farm," Alexey Petrushka introduced the history of the agro-industrial complex. - Development does not stop today. At the moment, with state support in the form of a loan from the dairy plant, we are building a dairy farm in the Dzerzhinsky district for 1.5 thousand heads of dairy cattle. In July, an order was also signed by the HEAD of state on the construction of a 7-hectare greenhouse complex in the village of Tabory, Minsk district, the capacity of which will help us provide the domestic market with fresh vegetables in the off-season."
The agro-industrial complex is a single organism , all of whose systems and organs are carefully verified and carefully connected to each other. Thus, the pig complex in the village of Plashevo in the Dzerzhinsky district, with the most productive Danish pig population to date, has its own feed mill. The grain drying complex in the village of Ozertso in the capital has a similar one, only this one is intended for the needs of cattle.. The agro-industrial complex has also launched its own line for processing rapeseed oilseeds, which allows replacing expensive proteins in dairy cattle farming. And three years ago, a sausage shop was opened in the village of Tabory on the basis of a vegetable storage facility, where 100% natural MEAT products from its own raw materials are dried and cured. More than 60 types of products have been mastered: boiled, smoked and dry-cured sausages , ham, semi-finished products.

"The products are made from pork grown on our own pig complex, which means that the naturalness, decent taste and usefulness of our products are guaranteed," assured the head of the meat processing shop Marianna Borovik. "All goods are manufactured using classic technologies with the use of modern technological equipment and using only natural raw materials. Each batch of meat raw materials arriving at the processing shop undergoes the necessary quality control."
Own gardens allow the agricultural enterprise to collect decent fruit and berry crops: in 2024 , the agro-industrial complex harvested over 1.17 thousand tons of apples, 43.8 tons of chokeberries, 2.6 tons of currants, 121 kg of blueberries - and pressed direct-squeezed juices without the use of concentrates.

"Over 9 months of this year, the growth rate of gross production in comparable prices of 2023 for the enterprise amounted to 109.3%," said the figures of the chief economist of the agro-industrial complex, Evgeny Mezhen. - We worked with a profit for three quarters of 2024, the growth of the average monthly salary amounted to 126.2% compared to the same period last year. Economic indicators indicate that our complex is functioning stably and demonstrating growth dynamics."
However, the management emphasizes: the main asset of the Zhdanovichi agro-industrial complex is its people. There are labor dynasties, and leading workers, and even record holders of the republican scale in the team.

The machine operator of the agro-industrial complex Mikhail Vladimirovich Saladukha has been working on various agricultural machinery - tractors, combines, for more than 36 years. In 2012, he threshed 7715 tons of grain, thereby setting an absolute record in the country. And years later, the honored machine operator continues to go out into the field and make a personal contribution to the common loaf, setting an example for the younger generation, which, by the way, is increasingly willing to go into the agro-industrial complex, having appreciated the obvious advantages of the chosen profession.

10% of all Belarusian protected ground vegetables are grown in the agro-industrial complex "Zhdanovichi"

You begin to understand the full scale of agricultural production at the agro-industrial complex when you travel from the farm to the greenhouses in about half an hour by car and cross the borders of two districts of the country's central region. In the near-capital village of Bogatyrevo, a modern greenhouse complex is located on 19 hectares. The two main crops grown are tomatoes and cucumbers, but on the available areas, albeit small, farmers also grow eggplants, peppers, and cluster tomatoes. This year, for example, workers at the Zhdanovichi agro-industrial complex plan to harvest 11.6 thousand tons of vegetables and cut 600 thousand roses.
"We grow tomatoes of several shapes: large-fruited beef tomatoes, plum-shaped red and yellow tomatoes, chocolate cherry tomatoes, there are also medium-fruited round and elongated tomatoes - the total number of hybrids is 39," leading agronomist Diana Grishkina conducts a tour of the greenhouses. - The second most widely cultivated crop is the medium-fruited smooth cucumber, we grow it in the winter and spring periods, and in the summer we switch to the short-fruited "thorn".
The organization of work is structured in such a way that it allows the agro-industrial complex to supply the market with fresh vegetables from November to June, when Belarusians begin to harvest the first crops of vegetables grown in their own beds. This is made possible by the Dutch technology of light culture introduced at the agro-industrial complex and quite common in other agricultural enterprises of the republic. The leading agronomist explains: the main thing a plant needs in winter is light, preferably, of course, sunlight, which in greenhouses replace special lamps. Another secret of rich harvests is hidden in the substrate of mineral wool, where vegetable crops are planted instead of soil.
"The entire process of caring for plants is maximally automated, human participation is required only during the formation and harvesting of the crop ," Diana Grishkina clearly demonstrates. - Thus, computer-controlled drippers are connected to each plant, they supply the shoot with nutrients and water in the required quantity and at the right time. Such care guarantees balanced nutrition , which means that nitrates do not accumulate in vegetables."

The symbiosis of modern technology and manual labor gives a result: up to 30 kg of cucumbers and about 26 kg of tomatoes are collected from one plant in the greenhouses of the agro-industrial complex. The indicators are more than decent, because according to expert estimates, the plant produces 10% of all Belarusian protected ground vegetables and 20.7% of the harvest of such vegetables in the Minsk region. The workers of the Zhdanovichi agro-industrial complex unanimously say: more to come, and the work on increasing the fertility of the land, modernizing the infrastructure and, accordingly, improving the yield here does not stop for a day.
Among the most popular beauties are the snow-white Annabelle, the soft cream Tanya and the scarlet Naomi

Next to the vegetables, the plant's agronomists have created a real flower paradise - 11 varieties of roses have been planted on an area of ​​about 0.3 hectares. The abundance of colors dazzles the eyes, and the aromas make your head spin: here is the bright yellow Penny Lane, and the red-burgundy Red Naomi, and the ivory-colored Talea with a barely noticeable pink tint, and the snow-white with dark green foliage Annabel, and the salmon-orange Wow, and the two-color Jumillia, and the pearl-pink Kimberly, and the peony-like London Eye, and the deep crimson with a carmine tint Shangri La, and even two miniature beauties: the mysterious Rubyella, raspberry-red at the core and light yellow at the tips of the petals, and the very embodiment of tenderness Tanja with many small cream buds.
According to leading agronomist Diana Grishkina, who also oversees flower plantings, workers at the agro-industrial complex collect fragrant bunches of roses six times a week, with a total daily bouquet of up to 2.5 thousand pieces. Not only beauty is valued here, but also fertility. On average, up to 20 buds are cut per square meter per month.
"The burgundy rose is a classic, it is always in demand on the market. Young girls liked our pink-coral novelty London Eye. Slowly blooming, the buds reveal many tightly packed petals, reminiscent of lush peonies in their structure, - agronomist Diana Grishkina introduces the latest trends in the world of floristry. - In recent years, a stable demand has been formed for bush roses: previously they were included in flower arrangements as an optional addition, and today bouquets consisting exclusively of these branches with tiny buds are selling like hot cakes. In general, in my opinion, our range of roses is very diverse, so that each buyer can choose a favorite for themselves by color, shape and even smell."
Every day, about 16 tons of MILK are milked here

. The next location is already in the Dzerzhinsky district, where the Frunze dairy farm is located. There are 5 similar farms at the Zhdanovichi agro-industrial complex, and the enterprise contains about 6 thousand heads of cattle, including about 3 thousand dairy cattle. And yet, Frunze has a significant difference that makes the farm unique in its own way.
The fact is that the complex is equipped with a robotic milking system, which almost completely eliminates human participation. There are 11 such skilled robots on the farm, and they, according to local workers, can handle a herd of 591 dairy cows. Now imagine how many milkmaids and service personnel would be needed for the needs of this agricultural enterprise if all the functions had to be performed manually? However, first things first. Svetlana Martynyuk, foreman of the Frunze dairy farm, helped to understand the essence of the technology.
"The robot independently findsudder , connects the cow to the milking machine, simultaneously scanning the animal , and milks it. The technology is very gentle, since the draft is different - the robot determines which teat has more milk and which has less, which distinguishes this technology from linear milking, which is not distinguished by such meticulousness to the HEALTH of the animal, - the foreman commented. - The human participation in the process is minimal: only an operator who remotely controls the work of the robots, and several drivers who hurry up the cows that are late for milking, that is, in fact, a shift of five people can ensure the smooth functioning of a farm with almost 600 heads of milking herd."

This is exactly the case when an assessment of the work done can be given here and now. As soon as the cow has moved away from the device, the computer immediately determines how much milk each cow has given and calculates the average milk yield for the farm per day. At Frunze, they milk about 16 tons of milk per day. Svetlana Martynyuk proudly states: they have cows that give up to 61 liters of milk per day, which is a very decent indicator. This is the merit of the team, which, although small, is united and has a responsible approach to business.
For the second year now, a young specialist, a graduate of the Ilyansk State Agrarian College, has been making his contribution to the overall result, Veterinary assistant Pavel Lipin. The young man says: he was born and raised in the capital, but he always loved animals, so when the time came to decide on a profession, he did not think long. No one in the guy's family is connected with agriculture, and he, having got his first training practice at an agricultural complex, radically changed the sphere of professional interests.
"I always associated the work of a veterinarian with cats and dogs, but the more I immersed myself in science, got to know my craft in practice, the more clearly I understood that my skills and knowledge would be more suitable for cattle, - laughs the young specialist. - The term of my mandatory work is coming to an end, but I already understand that I want to continue my professional path here. I live in the capital, so all the city benefits are available to me, I get to work by car quite quickly. But the main thing is that I feel in the right place: I am doing well, my colleagues appreciate me, and I myself perceive my work as socially useful."
The guy is ready to be supported here - this is true, however, a caring attitude towards colleagues at the agro-industrial complex is a common practice. The team is used to working and relaxing together. The occasion seems to be the most worthy - a professional holiday, and the team of the Zhdanovichi agro-industrial complex, numbering about 900 employees, plans to hold it properly. After all, for more than a century, the workers of the agricultural enterprise have successfully stood at the forefront of ensuring food security for Belarusians, and on different flanks, and bread, literally and figuratively, is not easy for them. And therefore, it is doubly valuable and tasty.

Vera VASILEVSKAYA,
photo by Tatyana MATUSEVICH,
BELTA.