"It was a vertical takeoff." Turov Dairy Plant sums up its work for 10 years

OJSC "Turov Dairy Plant" summed up its work for 10 years. The company's products are well known to Belarusians and foreign connoisseurs under the Bonfesto brand. In honor of the tenth anniversary of the launch of the enterprise, a press tour was organized for journalists, in which representatives of numerous media outlets saw how premium cheeses are made from Belarusian MILK using Italian technologies .
Where there was nothing,
the Turov Dairy Plant began producing products in 2013. The enterprise was created under an investment project within the framework of the State Program for the Development of Pripyat Polesie. Even when developing the production concept, emphasis was placed on producing unique products for Belarus at that time - cheeses using Italian technology. We are talking about mozzarella, ricotta and mascarpone, which have already become familiar to the Belarusian taste.
“The plant appeared literally in an open field: where there was nothing. At the time of commissioning, not only in Belarus, but throughout the entire post-Soviet space, in terms of product line, scale and technology, there were no such enterprises. We became a flagship in its niche,” the DIRECTOR of Turov Dairy Plant OJSC began the historical excursion.
At first, only 175 people worked here. All processes, including organizing the raw materials zone (there was not enough local milk), studying consumer preferences, and arranging supplies, were organized from scratch. Back in 2013, the enterprise processed 40 tons of milk every day. Today this volume is 20 times higher, including due to the commissioning of the second stage. The HEAD of the plant notes: everything was achieved primarily due to the dedication of a well-coordinated team.
“You can have the best technologies, modern equipment, resources, but if you don’t have a motivated team, the result is not at all obvious. At the very start, we were looking for people literally all over the country. We managed to assemble a strong and interested team.”
Over the past 10 years, the company has gone through many stages. As Olga Lutsko recalls, there were both difficult periods and times of dizzying success.
"We are talking about what we have today. In 2013, we produced 970 tons of cheese, and today the figure has grown to 40 thousand tons. According to forecasts for 2024, the annual turnover will be 165 million euros. This is 55 times more than ten years earlier."
Today, the plant employs 570 qualified specialists - recognized professionals in the field of cheese making.
“When we just started, employees had to learn a lot from foreign specialists. Today we state that our team itself has become an expert in this field,” emphasized Olga Lutsko.
Under the Bonfesto brand
The products of the Turov Dairy Plant are known primarily under the Bonfesto brand. Interestingly, the phrase is translated into Russian as “good holiday.” Head of the development and marketing service of the Turov Dairy Plant, Yulia Zhurok, emphasized that the main values ​​of Bonfesto (as well as the Bonfesto Cooking brand) are naturalness, innovation and modernity.
“Our brand remains bright and recognizable. Of course, we do not stand still. In 2022, we carried out a rebranding that emphasized our uniqueness,” noted a representative of the plant.
Today, under the Bonfesto brand, products are manufactured that are suitable for snacks, hot dishes and desserts. Mozzarella, mascarpone, ricotta, and cream cheese have long been a staple on Belarusian tables. 

Thousands of tests
Close attention is paid to the quality and safety of raw materials. Laboratory control is carried out in accordance with international, national and internal requirements. The high quality of cheeses is evidenced by the fact that the products are successfully used in the HoReCa segment.

"We actively cooperate with large chains. it is very difficult to enter them, since they have high demands not only on the quality of products, but also on the conditions of their production. In accordance with the current quality management and food safety management systems and the requirements of our partners, we conduct an analysis and assessment of the entire activity of the enterprise,” said Maria Ivanova, head of the quality management department.

The advantages of Turov cheeses are recognized at the highest level. In 2019, the plant deservedly received an award from the Government of Belarus in the field of quality, and in 2022 the enterprise was included on the republican Board of Honor. And there are countless different medals from domestic and international competitions, diplomas and commendations.
The EXPORT portfolio includes more than 20 countries.
The company has great export capabilities. After just a few months of work, in July 2013, the first foreign delivery to the Russian Federation took place. Since then, export has remained one of the key areas of the plant’s work. In 2020, the company was recognized as the best exporter in Belarus.
“Over these years, export supplies have increased many times over. Today, the plant supplies products to more than 10 countries. In total, since 2013, Turov cheeses have been on the shelves of 22 countries. The share of exports since the beginning of the plant’s operation is over 80%,” the deputy director for commercial continues the story. questions Alexander Sezen.
Traditionally, the Russian Federation plays the most important role in exports. The eastern neighboring country accounts for about 75% of all products shipped abroad. A considerable share (about 12%) belongs to Kazakhstan. Now the export vector has acquired a distinct eastern direction.
"In 2023, the first batch of products went to CHINA . This is a huge achievement, since in this country the culture of consumption of soft cheeses is different from what we are used to: the local consumer associates them primarily with desserts. Entering the Chinese market is a great success, which we will develop and beyond,” Alexander Sezen shared his plans.
“We always think about where we will be tomorrow.”
Speaking about the future, Olga Lutsko notes: the team has many new plans and ideas for the future.
“We, however, as always, are very ambitious in our plans. We have a lot of work ahead with innovation, on creating new types of products. Just the other day we had a meeting where we discussed the development of several lines of new products at once. We always think where we will be tomorrow. To summarize, we are talking about new types of products, the development of which we rely on consumer preferences."
Export diversification remains another important area.
“As you all know, last year the dairy industry experienced a certain turbulence in the market. This is absolutely normal; in the dairy industry there are often periods characterized by alternating “hyperbolas and parabolas”. Market diversification is one of the most global tasks today,” Olga emphasized Lutsko.
As the head of the Turov Dairy Plant admits, this decade, which flew by like an instant, was like a vertical takeoff.
“All outside experts talk about this. Of course, there were many difficult stages along our path. Thanks to motivation and competent management, we managed to achieve a lot. However, there are still many interesting and ambitious tasks ahead that we will be happy to carry out,” concluded Olga Lutsko.