How does Velyatichi Poultry Farm OJSC operate today, whose shares were bought by Iranian investors 10 years ago?

More than 10 years ago, shares of OJSC Velyatichi Poultry Farm in the Borisov region were bought by Iranian investors. Then the agricultural enterprise needed rapid modernization and a revision of approaches to work in all areas without exception. Time passed, but things went smoothly until the current management team took over the reins five years ago. Today, the results, as they say, are obvious: for years the enterprise has been ranked first in terms of yield, updated agricultural equipment, built a modern grain dryer and put into operation a new dairy complex. We learned how Iranian specialists work on Belarusian soil.

From Borisov to Velyatichi it is about 40 kilometers. For such a distance from the regional center, this agricultural town turned out to be unexpectedly large and populated. Asphalt streets, on both sides of which private farmsteads live their lives, buried in autumn flower beds. The navigator, having strayed from the route, gives you the opportunity to communicate with local residents. They are very willing to tell you how to get to the “office”.

– Is your village big? – we ask the locals.

- There will be 500 households. There is its own school, outpatient clinic, shops. True, young people are increasingly looking towards the city, they think it’s easier to live there,” the man philosophizes and immediately asks: “Are you on some kind of business at our poultry farm?”

– We are journalists, we want to talk about the successes of the farm.

- Good job! Especially when there is something to praise for. I used to work there, but have been retired for 15 years. It was painful to watch how everything fell apart before our eyes before Iranian investors arrived. They breathed new life into the enterprise. Many villagers work there today, and young people have become interested. So be sure to write that the locals are happy about the renovation of the poultry farm. This means that our veska will live! - the pensioner asks goodbye.

Having passed an alley with trees and neatly trimmed bushes, we see that very “office”, on the threshold of which the DIRECTOR is already waiting for us . It is unusual to see a man with the appearance of a handsome oriental film actor in the role of a farm manager. But 10 minutes after the conversation you understand: he is in the right place and understands the intricacies of agriculture in detail.

– I’ve been living in Belarus for 15 years. I came to learn Russian because I was always interested in Slavic culture. He graduated from your foreign language school, then received a law degree. He worked as a translator, then as deputy director at enterprises of various types, including agricultural. These skills help manage the large poultry farm “Velyatichi,” says Arash Honarju. – Five years ago I was offered to HEAD the company. We renewed our team of specialists and got excellent results.

– The team was very good, many wanted to work and earn money. There was not enough leadership that would unite people and direct them along the right path, he notes and emphasizes that the company owes its current success to the people. – We are one friendly team that works exclusively for results.

Progress is really hard not to notice. Take farmland, for example: due to the annexation of Ukholod and Metchen lands, the area of ​​the poultry farm’s arable land increased to 5,000 hectares. Every meter of them today brings returns. It is not for nothing that the farm is among the regional leaders in terms of productivity. According to the director's forecasts, the same will happen this time.

– Every year we sow grains, oilseeds, fodder crops, as well as corn. In 2022, we decided to experiment and sowed winter barley on 80 hectares. The yield exceeded all expectations. It is not for nothing that the President of Belarus pays great attention to this culture. It really is the future – we have seen it from our own experience. This time we will increase the crop area to 300 hectares,” notes the manager. – Every year we try to alternate forage crops: we sow triticale, then peas . As for corn, the harvest goes in three directions: for silage, grain and crimping. We also grow buckwheat. This season, I think, we will get a good harvest.

Crop production on the farm is primarily subordinated to the livestock industry, the results of which are the responsibility of the AFTAB dairy complex located next to the Velyatichi poultry farm, which is also owned by an Iranian investor.

MTK began work in 2020, built from scratch in an open field. Today, its territory is impressive not only in size, but also in appearance: nine spacious barns, three of which are intended for milking herds, one for dry cows, and the rest for heifers and calves. There are warehouses for storing straw and hay, silage trenches, and a hangar for equipment.

– I started working in an old complex in Velyatichi, built in Soviet times. There were 200 dairy cows, each of which gave no more than 14 liters of MILK per day. The capacity of the new complex is 1050 dairy cows, the total number of livestock is 2500. Moreover, we purchase German and Dutch breeds that produce many times more milk,” explains Alireza Moraveji, deputy director for livestock production at the AFTAB dairy complex. – To obtain “white gold”, absolutely everything is important: from the seeds that were sown in the field in the spring and grown, to the diet of the animal and, of course, the conditions of its keeping.

Our interlocutor boldly calls cowsheds “hotel rooms” in which the horned guests should be comfortable, and they should also be fed tasty and healthy food.

MTK "AFTAB" is equipped with the latest agricultural technology. There is a "carousel" type milking machine, a modern feed dispenser that simultaneously performs the functions of three machines. A separate pavilion with houses for calves aged from 1 to 40 days was built. Each animal has a sensor, thanks to which workers track all the necessary data, primarily related to HEALTH.

– Today, in terms of milk yield, we occupy first place among the farms in the Borisov region. We milk on average 27–28 liters per cow. We receive over 20 tons of milk per day, all of it in the extra class,” clarifies Alireza Moraveci. – We know that our cows have a potential of more than 50 liters of milk. So there is still something to strive for!

According to the results of the current harvesting campaign, the grain yield at OJSC Poultry Farm Velyatichi amounted to 48 c/ha.

On average, 27–28 liters of milk are obtained at the AFTAB MTK; over 20 tons of “white gold” are produced here per day.

Marina VALAKH, photo - Vitaly PIVOVARCHIK