The fields are still covered with snow, and in the agricultural branch of OJSC "Slutsk Cheese-Making Plant" they are already ready for the spring sowing

The earth rests, gains strength and is saturated with moisture. Only farm workers have no time to rest: machine operators are repairing equipment, preparing for technical inspection; farms are also always full of things to do, regardless of the season. The agricultural branch has four dairy complexes, two dairy farms and three commercial farms. The tenth one is also being built, the largest one, for two thousand heads. The investor is increasing production volumes, and there will be more work here.

Passed the test!
This is the largest agricultural branch of the Slutsk cheese-making plant.
it initially included two separate farms. The reorganization began in 2004: the Selishche agricultural production company was added to the Znamensky agricultural production company, and four years later a branch was formed on their basis. In 2014, the Belichi agricultural production facility was added as a production site. The administrative center and management building of the enlarged agricultural enterprise are located in the village of Znamya, 15 kilometers from Slutsk. And the branch employees live in different settlements: Selishche, Belichi, Kvasynichy, Gorki, Novobelichi, Bolotchitsy and others.
The farm has more than ten thousand hectares of land. Last year it took a leading position in the region in MILK, grain, and cattle . The corn harvest was a record and exceeded all expectations:

“In previous years, we collected 7 thousand tons of corn grain, so we set our sights on 10, but ended up with 11 thousand tons,” says Sergei Tseyko, HEAD of the agricultural branch of Slutsk Cheese-Making Plant OJSC. – Productivity – 122 centners per hectare. Wheat and barley yields also increased.
The year turned out to be difficult: the weather brought surprises, and it was Sergei Vladimirovich’s debut. He was appointed head of the agricultural branch in March 2023. Sergey Tseyko - from the locals, his own, Znamensky.  My parents worked on the farm, my mother continues to work today. He himself, having received a higher education, started here as an economist in 2007, then he was appointed chief economist, then deputy.  
We can say with confidence that both the manager and the team passed the test of 2023 with dignity:

– Our milk production today is 83.5 tons, which is approximately plus 8 tons compared to last year. Every day we sell 78 tons of milk to the main enterprise: 61% extra, the rest is premium. If we compare the cattle population with last year, there is an increase of approximately 430 heads, 200 heads were added to the dairy herd, today milk production per forage cow is 22.8 liters. We are third in the region in terms of milk yield,” clarifies Sergei Vladimirovich.

The agricultural branch receives 70% of its revenue from livestock farming. Now there are almost 11 thousand heads on the farm. Main focus: milk. To provide large livestock with high-quality feed, the area sown with perennial grasses is increased. They produce the feed themselves. In 2020, we purchased a mobile feed mill, which is also used by other agricultural branches of the Slutsk cheese-making plant. Part of the grown rapeseed is exchanged for protein-rich rapeseed meal, which is included in the feed. They are provided with both silage and haylage, and have a one and a half year supply of feed. There are also plenty of fertilizers and seeds, so we are completely ready for the spring sowing.
“This year it will be necessary to sow 2,900 hectares of corn, 900 for grain, the rest for silage,” says
Sergei Vladimirovich. – We plan to increase the area of ​​summer grasses: 300 hectares of alfalfa and 100 hectares of cereal grasses. We began construction of a complex for 2000 animals. Partial financing is budget support , the rest is from our own funds. The Westfalia carousel, a milking equipment that can be used to milk 72 cows at the same time, has already been received.

Over the past year, the farm has updated its fleet of machines quite well: they purchased two grain combines, an energy-rich tractor, and a self-propelled sprayer. Plans for this year include the purchase of two more combines; documents have already been submitted to Promagroleasing for their purchase.
The agricultural branch of OJSC "Slutsk Cheese-Making Plant" has three mechanical yards. One of them is located in the village of Selishche, where we found machine operators doing their usual activity for this time of year - repairing machines. Sergey Nerushev is one of the best employees of the branch; last year he took 2nd place in the region in the procurement of forage grasses. Now he is preparing his iron assistant for technical inspection.
Repaired equipment is neatly lined up. Energy-rich tractors are equipped with navigation. The auto-driving system via satellite allows you to control all technological operations of soil cultivation.
Labor and sports victories

Modern technologies help manage livestock complexes of the farm, which are located at a considerable distance from each other. With the help of a video surveillance system, you can monitor everything that happens “live”, and this disciplines workers. At dairy farm No. 1 in the village of Znamya, being in a room on the second floor, we see on the monitor how workers Natalya Chipurko and Olga Rozhanets quickly and confidently install and then remove milking machines. And manager Vladimir Prostak helps herd the next batch of cows for milking.

Many operations on the farm today are mechanized, but this work is still not easy, there is a lot of work, so the manager not only manages the process, but also actively participates in it.
“It’s a pity that there are only two hands,” jokes Vladimir Alexandrovich. But, judging by his appearance, he is a serious boss - you won’t spoil someone like him. And he himself confirms that careless workers do not stay here. There are now 25 people in the team, everyone is working hard and trying hard.
There are almost 700 animals on the farm in the village of Znamya. But at the largest dairy complex in the village of Belichi, which we also visited, there are more than two thousand.
“Today – 2244,” explains complex manager Anna Khvesko. – Of these, 1087 are milking herds. We currently produce 25 tons of extra grade milk, 24 liters per cow. The staff is fully staffed: 54 employees, including 11 specialists. 

Anna Sergeevna has been in charge of the complex for the second year, and has been in animal husbandry for 5 years, although she is a lawyer by training. She moved from the neighboring Lyubansky district. Lives with his family in the village of Kvasynichi. I like the work , the team is good. Management trusts and supports you in your desire to try something new, and they give you the opportunity to earn money. It’s also encouraging that young people come and stay. This means that the economy is developing and there are prospects, Anna Sergeevna is convinced.

The agricultural branch has more than 430 employees. Specialists from neighboring farms and districts come and get jobs.

Since 2022, Alexander Galitsky has been working here as chief livestock specialist. Before that, together with his wife, an agronomist by training, they worked at the neighboring farm of OJSC Slutskaya Niva. Now my wife is on maternity leave, they have three children. Alexander is originally from the Kletsk district, where he worked after graduating from the Agricultural Academy in Gorki. Lives in one village, but works in different ones. On wheels all day, and this way of life is already familiar. As an experienced specialist, he knows what feed the cows need. In order for milk to meet all the necessary indicators, the feed must be saturated with beneficial vitamins and microelements. Taking into account these needs, the formulation of premixes that are necessary in the diet of animals is developed. 

The HEALTH of cows and calves is monitored by a veterinary service. The branch currently has 7 veterinarians on staff. Herd reproduction is one of the important tasks for which modern research methods are used . For example, monitoring the process of cow barrenness.  
Farm specialists were the first in the Slutsk region to introduce a program that, based on milk samples on the 28th day after insemination, determines the pregnancy of a cow. If the result is not achieved, the veterinary gynecologist finds out the cause and prescribes treatment , if necessary .

The average age of specialists is 35 years. In order to provide the economy with the necessary personnel, they actively use targeted training and cooperate with agricultural educational institutions. Having had an internship at the agricultural branch of the Slutsk cheese-making plant, many students are not averse to being assigned here.
“Some have already served in the army and returned to us,” says Alexander Galitsky. – If the conditions are created, why not work? Our salaries are good, and payments are provided for young personnel.

For example, veterinary service specialists who agree to enter into a long-term contract for five years are entitled to a one-time payment of 200 basic units. And that’s not all: then, if the specialist renews the contract again for five years, he will be paid another 300 basic units. Young people are given targeted directions for study and each of their students is paid an additional five basic amounts monthly to the scholarship.
Young professionals are provided with housing in a manor-type house in the village of Znamya. And in general, they try to create conditions for workers so that life in the countryside becomes more comfortable.

– We have apartments, for example, but they have solid fuel heating. We are planning to replace it with gas. It is clear that after work a person wants his home to be warm and cozy. And there was no need to waste time on preparing firewood or heating the stove,” says Sergei Tseyko.
All the necessary infrastructure is available on the territory of the branch. True, like economic enterprises, social facilities are not concentrated in one locality. There are three secondary schools in the villages of Znamya, Selishche and Belichi. The House of Culture and the music school are located in the village of Selishche, and in Kvasynichy there is a center of crafts. There are also two kindergartens - in the villages of Znamya and Kvasynichi. And medical institutions - two hospitals and two first aid stations. Last year, repairs were made to the medical and obstetric centers at the expense of the branch.

...Life in the countryside is usually spent in troubles and labors, but the branch employees also know how to relax in an organized manner. And they definitely participate in regional sports competitions and tourist rallies. They even have their own volleyball team, made up of specialists and employees from various departments, led by the boss. In Sergei Tseyko’s office there are many cups and certificates that testify to the sports and labor victories of the employees of the agricultural branch of the Slutsk cheese-making plant.

Veterinary service specialists who enter into a five-year contract are entitled to a one-time payment of 200 basic units.

The agricultural branch receives 70% of its revenue from livestock farming. Now the farm has almost 11 thousand heads of cattle.

Anna MASLYAKOVA, photo - Nadezhda KOSTETSKAYA