To have its own milk, the Verkhnedvinsk creamery built a dairy complex. 

On November 19, the Verkhnedvinsky Butter and Cheese Plant in Vitebsk built a modern dairy production complex (DPC) for 2,200 head of cattle , which will be a boon to the Kokhanovichi farm. This will expand the company's raw material production zone, which will contribute to increased capacity utilization. A BelTA correspondent learned more about the new agro-industrial facility from the plant. 

"This complex will produce milk and raise calves in a closed-loop system, meaning that a calf born on site immediately becomes a cow. It includes six large, modern buildings with a good microclimate for housing cattle and approximately 10 auxiliary buildings—milking and dairy units, a health center, a sanitary checkpoint, disinfection barriers, a feeding station, 12 silage and haylage trenches, a hay shed, and more," explained Alexander Demko, Deputy Director of Verkhnedvinsky Butter and Cheese Plant.
 
He reported that the dairy herd will number 1,000 head and will be housed in two milk production buildings, a dry-off facility, and a milking facility. The buildings feature dual-flow galleries for herding cows to and from milking stations. Between them is a milking and dairy unit equipped with a system for milking 40 cows simultaneously. Animals from the sections will be able to independently access their exercise yard 24/7. 

"The dry-off section will house 200 cows and heifers on deep bedding. Three single-stall maternity stalls with waterers and access to the feed table have been created for calving. The newborn calf will first be placed in a stall for drying, and then in a health center (which has 90 stalls) or an individual hutch (the site has a total of 150 stalls). A fresh cow will be placed in the milking section for 30 days, where she will be maintained on a reinforced, advanced diet to develop her genetic potential and determine her subsequent transfer to the milk production sections based on her productivity," the deputy director explained.

In addition, the dairy complex is equipped with facilities for group housing of 380 calves, as well as for pre-breeding and mating heifers, and for a week. All calving herd will also be housed on deep bedding.

"To equip the MTK, the creamery will purchase and donate 350 heifers from farms in the district to the Kokhanovichi State Agricultural Enterprise," explained Alexander Demko.

He placed particular emphasis on the feed supply. "There are no similar units in the district. It's a shed with six bins for storing feed. A feed dispenser loads silage, haylage, and feed according to the feeding schedule, mixes them thoroughly, and places them on the animals' feed table ," explained Alexander Demko. 

The complex has two disinfection barriers for entry and exit, a sanitary checkpoint with changing rooms, lockers for personal and work clothes, and showers. Video surveillance covers all work areas. Around 60 cameras have been installed, primarily in the milking, calf birthing, milking, and calf care areas. Equipment procurement for the complex is nearly complete. 

According to Alexander Demko, 46 ​​jobs will be created there. "The multifunctional complex is planned to be commissioned by the end of this year. It was built using a loan and the butter and cheese plant's own funds in roughly equal shares. Its current cost is approximately Br40 million. According to the prepared business plan, the milk yield per thousand cows per year will be 7.5 thousand tons of milk, of which 6.9 thousand tons will be sent for sale with a marketability of 92%, and annual revenue will amount to Br8.5 million. The average daily weight gain of heifers from birth to insemination is 850-900 g. All milk will be delivered to Verkhnedvinsky Butter and Cheese Plant OJSC," the deputy director noted. He added that the multifunctional complex will reach these indicators only two years after commissioning. In the meantime, painstaking work lies ahead on equipping the complex, fine-tuning the technology, and breeding.  

"Our common goal is to develop agricultural production, create comfortable working conditions for agricultural workers, and increase wages. As a result, the standard of living of our people will improve. “And this way we can keep our youth in rural areas and preserve the village,” concluded Alexander Demko.