On the one hand, OJSC "Krasnodvortsy" in the Soligorsk region is a typical agricultural enterprise where cattle are raised , grain and other crops are grown for feed. On the other hand, Belarusian farmers often come here to learn from experience, and the district executive committee is proud of the enterprise. Journalists from 7 Days looked into the secret of the success of the leading farm in the region.
Barn at 200 meters
The premises for keeping cows at OJSC "Krasnodvortsy" are called in rural terms - a barn. Meanwhile, the length of the new ultra-modern barn is almost twice as long as the standard one - not 102 meters, but 186. The structure is designed for 750 staging places.
“It’s better to build one 186-meter barn than two hundred-meter ones,” says farm DIRECTOR Dmitry Zasimovich. – The distance between them according to fire safety standards is 15–20 meters. If there are two standard ones, you will have to create a gallery between them. So, maybe it’s better to build two 186 meters long than four 102 meters long, so that later you don’t have to complete the construction, not pave it with asphalt or concrete?The cowshed was erected in less than a year according to the Presidential program. Dmitry Zasimovich admits that there were many skeptics; they often said: “What are you doing? They don’t build like that!”
– The project is serious, I myself had certain concerns: can we pull it off in a year? - says the director. – I asked livestock specialist Olga Shved if we could provide livestock logistics and resolve delicate issues. She immediately answered: we can! We started working. I just have to manage the process. If you see the confidence and burning eyes of your specialists, you are not afraid to move forward.
Construction was carried out by both third-party contractors and two in-house teams. The floors were poured using a household method, light-ventilation equipment was installed, and external landscaping was carried out. Where did you get the funding? We used a government loan, sponsorship, a bank loan , and invested about 2 million of our own funds. The building was put into operation on time, December 26, 2023.
“We have increased the productivity of cows,” states Dmitry Zasimovich. – Due to the comfortable living conditions in the new barn, the animals became freer. The workload on workers, on the one hand, has increased because there are more livestock. But due to the new working conditions, people cope faster. Previously, it took 8-9 hours to MILK 700 heads; now, with the help of a milking carousel, the same work takes 4 hours. People come home not at midnight, but at nine in the evening. They can relax and spend time with their family.
Comfort for livestock
JSC Krasnodvortsy also has eight barns built in the 60s, which were reconstructed twice. But over half a century, veterinary rules for keeping livestock have changed dramatically.
– The President today demands that farms operate full-cycle complexes. “We are moving towards this goal,” emphasizes the director of Krasnodvortsy OJSC. – The first barn has been built, with the help of the second we will increase the number of dairy herds. The third is for heifers and dry cows.
Dmitry Zasimovich and I walk along the stalls. The cows, without ceasing to chew, raise their heads when they see us, and immediately pick up the feed from the floor with their tongues. The food area is usually lined with acid-resistant tiles to prevent animals from licking the coating. Instead, JSC Krasnodvortsy laid concrete with marble chips - the floor turned out to be wear-resistant, and using the chips saved almost half the cost.
In addition, we purchased a feed pusher so as not to use shovels. The machine lifts the feed, fluffs it up, and serves it to the animals. The whole process takes 10–15 minutes. The cows' reflex immediately kicks in: they give you food - you need to eat. They eat more - milk yield increases.
We also approached the issue of stall fencing creatively. We purchased a pipe bending machine for half the price, bent and welded the frames. There were serious savings again.
The new barn uses a delta scraper instead of a bulldozer to remove manure. The equipment pushes out manure not once a day, but automatically every hour.
– They often say that it is necessary to automate agriculture. But what it is is not always clear,” says Dmitry Zasimovich. – Automation is in front of you: instead of a tractor, a scraper.
The farm is preparing to launch new equipment for manure separation and drying.
– The technology is not new, but it is unique for us, and we were able to implement it without investors. Now commissioning work is underway,” explains Dmitry Zasimovich. – The complex will be launched in the near future and will solve a number of problems.
There is a high density of livestock in the area, and issues arise with bedding material. The separator will separate the manure into a solid substance such as sawdust, which will be used as bedding, and liquid fertilizer. The latter can be used as cheap nitrogen fertilizers, like corn. This division will save up to 100 tons of straw per month, and the minimum cost of 1 ton is 100 rubles.
After the barn we HEAD to the nearby milking block.
“Our correct decision was the simultaneous construction of a barn and a new milking and milk unit,” the director of the enterprise is confident. – Although again there was skepticism. They said: “Why are you building everything together? Build one at a time!” But such a sequence would have seriously delayed the process, and we still would not have put the complex into operation.
Miracle carousel
A Westphalia carousel is installed in the milking block. On a device somewhat reminiscent of a children's attraction, 50 cows chew food. The process is ongoing. The animal comes in, spins on a circle for 10 minutes while milking is going on, then leaves, and its place is immediately taken by the next one.The carousel is serviced by three machine milking operators who milk 700 cows in four hours. There is also a special robotic arm - it blocksthe udder when milking ends, at the same time allows you to save one workplace. It was thanks to the carousel that we managed to reduce labor costs by 4 hours per shift.
“Here we also took a businesslike approach,” Dmitry Zasimovich shows. “Instead of the tiles that the designers suggested, we filled the floor with concrete and marble chips ourselves. In public buildings, such coating lasts for decades, unlike tiles, which, in addition, often break.
Using the computer system installed in the block, you can see what numbers of cows are milked and how much milk they give. There is a driver that pushes the cattle in the right direction. Although many animals remember the road and walk on their own. The block is equipped with large-volume milk refrigerators, taking into account that each cow will produce 30–32 liters per day. So far it’s 26 liters – there’s room for improvement.
The block has created comfortable conditions for workers. For example, the milking parlor is heated. There is a separate office for the veterinarian and a camera room. The dining room is equipped with all necessary equipment.
Reconstruction of the grain warehouse
In 2023, OJSC Krasnodvortsy built two new warehouses, concreted the site, installed a dryer, a conveyor and a storage tank. The ZSK-100 grain drying complex was put into operation. The dryer from Amkodor cost 3 million rubles.“It dries corn grain perfectly,” says Dmitry Zasimovich. – The volume is 100 tons, but in fact we are filling up with 180. Two 20-ton MAZ trucks do not have time to load. In five hours, the ZSK-100 dries everything, then the grain goes into the refrigerator, from where it is unloaded into cars or onto a conveyor. For comparison: an old 40-ton dryer needs up to a day and a half.
Why do you need a new dryer? First, corn yields are increasing. Secondly, JSC Krasnodvortsy promised to add farmland. This issue is still under consideration, but even if they don’t add it, the farm will help dry grain for neighboring agricultural enterprises.
Next to the dryer there are warehouses designed to store 800 tons of grain. They were built within two months, and it turned out inexpensively: a metal frame covered with an awning.
“They give a five-year warranty for the awning, but it will last for 15 years,” Dmitry Zasimovich is sure. – The awning is 40% of the total cost. In 15 years we will simply replace the “film”.
For the third year in a row, corn, a source of energy for cows, is being “flattened” in bags at the grain warehouse. This storage method allows you to save on drying. In 2023, they “flattened” more than 2 thousand tons of corn grain, which ensured their farm until the next harvest . In the sleeves that lie on the asphalt, the corn is not afraid of either rain or frost.
An automated rapeseed processing line operates in one of the warehouses. One half of the warehouse is occupied by equipment, the other by storage.
“Installing the line was a bold step, I almost lost my job, but the benefits are obvious,” notes the director. – MAZ pours the grain into the storage tank, and then it moves along the line. One operator monitors the process. Rapeseed is processed into cake (protein), used as an element of feed for livestock. It is considered milk-digesting. Separately we get the oil . The line was taken with a power reserve so that the equipment would not work at the limit and would last longer.Rapeseed oil of class P1 is sold, which gives additional revenue - at least 200 thousand per month. The product is purchased by margarine factories, refined and bottled.
“The line is a gold mine, which has seriously improved the financial situation,” states Dmitry Zasimovich. – Therefore, today we are extremely interested in increasing the yield of rapeseed per hectare. We use only winter beans - they produce more oil. Plans for 2024 also include the construction of 10 silo and drainage trenches.
Results and secrets
Winter crops , Dmitry Zasimovich is sure, produce larger yields than spring crops, thanks to moisture from melting snow. About three years ago, JSC Krasnodvortsy placed an emphasis on winter barley. We started with an area of 100 hectares, and in 2024 we increased it to 300 hectares.
“I’m pleased with its productivity,” notes the director of the enterprise. “We can’t help but boast about corn for grain, which last year in bunker weight amounted to 144 centners per hectare. We added about 2 thousand tons of corn grain in the shaft to the figures of previous years. The milk yield per cow was 9,570 liters, plus 500 liters per year. The results for the first months of this year show that there will be an increase in milk yield in 2024.
Rapeseed remains the strategic crop for the company. According to it, in 2023 they also showed an increase of 200 tons to the 2022 level. Sales of rapeseed oil made it possible to increase wages and pay the 13th salary at the end of the year in the amount of 75% of average earnings - about 1,250 rubles.
– The profit of the farm at the end of the year amounted to 8.3 million rubles. Plus 270 thousand to the level of 2022, taking into account the fact that prices for MEAT and milk were falling, states Dmitry Zasimovich.
What is the secret of success?
– There is no special secret. The main thing is the desire to work,” answers Dmitry Zasimovich. – We need a team of like-minded people. All our specialists are result-oriented and do not take personal time into account. Of course, we try to support such employees. If the worker is not indifferent to production, then the farm should take care of him. As long as people’s eyes sparkle, as long as they want to prove themselves, to get results, as long as this goal unites them, the economy moves forward.
There are 220 workers on the farm on 5.5 thousand hectares of farmland.
Callout:
The average household salary for 2023 was almost 1.7 thousand rubles.
Alexey GORBUNOV
Photo by Vitaly PIVOVARCHIK