The advanced farm of JSC "Gorodilovo" uses the work of scientists and rewards with a trip to the sea

How knowledge of market conditions, achievements in genetics and modern technologies helped JSC "Gorodilovo" to become one of the best

The President of Belarus expressed gratitude to agricultural workers in the MINSK region and Minsk district, as well as to the teams of six agricultural enterprises, including Gorodilovo JSC. This is not the first time the enterprise has received such a high-level recognition. 7 Days correspondents visited the enterprise and learned how to become successful in their field.

Big Income Strategy

Dmitry Gramovich, DIRECTOR of Gorodilovo OJSC, is a well-known manager in the agricultural sector. He brought not only this previously unprofitable enterprise but also others to the forefront, including Kosino OJSC in the Logoisk District.

"I must admit, we're pleased with the high recognition of our contribution to the country's economy. The production achievements of the Gorodilovo team, first and foremost, shape the approach of our country's leadership to agriculture," says Dmitry Gramovich. "I'm confident that it won't be long before we Belarusians will demonstrate excellent results in agriculture, even better than the Netherlands and other countries! And we have almost everything we need to achieve this. Belarus has a suitable climate, good soil, and, importantly, we have people who want to work the land! We just need to improve our technology to become less dependent on other countries."

"Of course, no country can achieve technological superiority on its own. To achieve this, we must rely on science," the interviewee concludes.

How does this leading enterprise develop its management strategy and tactics? This year, for example, many farmers complained about frosts in May and a rainy summer...

"The frosts affected our operations to some extent, but overall, the farm has been demonstrating steady production growth all year long, and beyond. Our profits this year are twice as high as last year!" reports Dmitry Gramovich. Incidentally, he believes it's long been necessary to recognize that our country is outside the risky farming zone.

– We completed all stages of crop production with flying colors: from planting and care to harvesting grain – everything went perfectly!

The farm's arable land is considerable: approximately 7,000 hectares, of which only 3,000 hectares are devoted to grain and 2,000 hectares to rapeseed. This year's grain yield was 78 centners per hectare, while the rapeseed yield was 40 centners per hectare.

"All 10 of our combines were neck and neck during the 2025 harvest. Many threshed 4,000-5,000 tons during the season. None of them had less than 2,000 tons. Drivers and tractor drivers worked equally hard, delivering the harvested crop to the grain threshing floor," adds Elena Makritskaya, the director's deputy for economics.

The forecast for other crops is also optimistic. Corn, which yielded 100% profitability in 2024, has grown taller than a man this year. This queen of the fields, according to forecasts, will delight farmers no less this time. SUGAR beets , too, are being cultivated on approximately 1,000 hectares. In 2024, their yield was 850 centners per hectare, with a 100% return on sales. This year, according to the forecast, harvest volumes of this sweet root crop will be even higher. Rapeseed also brings good profitability, and therefore income, to the farm.

"Considering the market situation, we've revised the structure of our acreage, particularly our grain crop. The strategy is simple: if grain was previously valuable, we grew more of it. Now we grow more rapeseed and sugar beets, which generate more income. Furthermore, the favorable price for MILK allows us to achieve high profits ," explains the HEAD of Gorodilovo JSC, explaining the specifics of the current strategy.

The real fruits of Holsteinization

Dairy farming is the main asset of the modern agricultural sector. Holsteinized dairy cattle are raised at the MTK and the Gorodilovo farms. The average milk yield per cow on the farm is over 11,000 kg per year.

"We're on the path to Holsteinization: we've already reached almost 100%," Dmitry Gramovich emphasizes, sharing an important fact. For several years now, the farm has been inseminating cows with so-called sexed semen. As a result, 90% of the cows are female. This allows the farm to replenish its own dairy herd and also prepare heifers for sale. Young animals are sold at 15 months of age—heifers—for 7,000 rubles per head in batches of 100. This means that while Belarusian farmers previously preferred to purchase promising Holsteinized heifers from Europe, they can now be purchased from JSC Gorodilovo.

Sales of highly Holsteinized heifers (pregnant cows with a calf) also provide almost 100% sales profitability.

"Here, too, we've learned to quickly respond to market demands. Taking market conditions into account, we reallocate our resources and focus our activities," Dmitry Gramovich reveals the secrets of successful livestock farming.

The cows and heifers at JSC Gorodilovo are simply a sight to behold. We were convinced of this when we visited the Gruzdovo dairy complex, which we arrived at around lunchtime. As the feed dispenser moved through the barn, the beautiful, massive black-and-white cows slowly rose from their beds and approached the fragrant feed laid out on the tables. It was clear they were the most respected and pampered of the complex. Of course, if a cow produces 11,000 kg of milk a year, she deserves comprehensive care!

All milk from Gorodilovo JSC is sold as extra-grade milk. It is sold to the Kalinkovichi Dairy Plant , a branch of Rogachevsky MKK JSC, one of the country's largest and most renowned producers of dairy products, including cheese.

“The main characteristic of local dairy cows is their build, large weight and size, as well as the shape and parameters of the udder,” says livestock specialist Dmitry Ivanov, pointing outThe udders of the nearby dairy cows, shaped like two enormous milk jugs, turned out to be quite sociable and inquisitive. They're not afraid of people, which means they're invited here to be milked with love...

The herd at Gorodilovo JSC is not small. Together with the 1,500 head of cattle from YakhimovshchinaAgro LLC, a farm in which Gorodilovo JSC is an investor, the total cattle population is approximately 7,000 head. The combined arable land area of ​​the two farms is nearly 10,000 hectares.

Those saved by investors are now helping others get out of debt

Incidentally, the people at Gorodilovo OJSC know firsthand the power of investments that yield tangible results. At one point, the Gorodilovo team was saved from debt by an investor, Veles-Mit LLC.

"For several years now, we've been working to improve the efficiency of Yakhimovshchina, a previously unprofitable enterprise acquired by our investor, Veles Mit LLC, in 2024," says Elena Makritskaya, explaining the origins of Gorodilovo OJSC. Incidentally, she was appointed director.

With the arrival of an investor and a new director, YakhimovshchinaAgro LLC's business has improved. The unprofitable farm has become more efficient. Production volumes have increased, and debts are being repaid. Gorodilovo has begun actively providing feed and equipment, and investing in them through sound management decisions.

In total, approximately 6 million rubles have already been invested in the development of YakhimovshchinaAgro LLC, which operates three livestock facilities, one of which was recently completed with the support of Gorodilovo MTK. And all this has paid off. Both milk yields and harvests have increased.

For example, this year at JáchymovščinaAgro, the average grain yield was 60 centners per hectare. You'd agree, that's not bad. And most importantly, the approximately 70 employees there were able to earn more.

De facto, these two farms operate as a single entity, although they haven't yet merged. But the teams of both are confident that they will soon move forward together. It will take about a year for both farms to become one large enterprise, Gorodilovo OJSC.

Gorodilovo OJSC plans to build another modern dairy complex in the agro-town where its main farm is located within a year and a half. A design has already been developed. The farm has submitted an application to participate in the competitive selection of investment projects for the construction and reconstruction of the dairy complex, run by the Development Bank of the Republic of Belarus. The company's management plans to use its own funds to contribute 20% of the funds for the construction of the dairy complex, which will allow the farm to convert its cows from tethered housing to a more advanced, untethered system.

Harvesting the fields – one by one and competently

While preparations for the competition are underway, the company is exploring other investment options, just in case. Meanwhile, it's using every sunny day to prepare haylage.

"Autumn means eight jobs. The harvest is over, but we're still working in the fields, and the harvesting of green fodder is in full swing," Dmitry Gramovich explains, offering to show us how this process is going on their farm.

And so we're speeding along the smooth asphalt, then along a dirt road—to the farthest reaches of the JSC's lands, and in about 20 minutes, we're there. Here, in the endless green fields, almost all of the farm's forage harvesting equipment has gathered. The equipment, let's say, is serious—modern, highly productive, allowing forage harvesting to be completed in the shortest possible time.

Together with Chief Agronomist Ignat Ignatov, we watch as tractors' bodies are loaded to the brim with green fodder. A few more minutes, and the powerful tractors haul the fragrant herbs toward the MTK to fill another silage trench with vitamin-rich fodder for the winter.

"We're currently in the third hay harvest, and there will be a fourth," says Ignat Ignatov, adding that more than 35,000 tons of haylage have already been laid.

Cattle feed –The number one concern for Belarusian farmers. At Gorodilovo, they know well that milk is on a cow's tongue. Soon, the farm will begin harvesting corn for silage, and later, for grain.

"We sow corn in fields of varying maturity stages so that harvesting can be done sequentially and efficiently, according to the ripening phase," Ignat Ignatov shares his secrets for high yields.

All the best from domestic science – into business

Focusing on improving economic performance, particularly feed and milk yields, Gorodilovo JSC skillfully utilizes the latest advances in global and domestic science and technology. Director Dmitry Gramovich also notes the high quality of domestic equipment. A source of particular pride is the tractor presented by the President at the Dazhynki festival.

"Belarusian tractors and combines are performing excellently. During the current harvest, 10 combines were working in the farm's fields, two of which were purchased this year. I'd like to especially highlight the Gomselmash Palesse combines, which are excellent in performance and offer excellent value for money. We are constantly updating our fleet. We expect more new products from the Belarusian agricultural machinery industry that can compete with the best foreign counterparts."

It's worth noting that Gorodilovo JSC closely collaborates with Belarusian scientists, including research institutes, the Scientific and Practical Center for Animal Husbandry, and the Scientific and Practical Center for Agricultural Mechanization of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. Moreover, it not only leverages their achievements but also actively influences the development of mechanical engineering. For example, while purchasing the world's best equipment abroad, they offer to produce similar equipment in our country, based on Chinese experience.

"For example, our farm was the first to import a trailed equipment such as a swather to Belarus, and gave our scientists the opportunity to study it. The result of this collaboration is as follows: employees of the Scientific and Production Center for Agricultural Mechanization studied it and created their own, unique product. The Belarusian swather is now undergoing testing and will soon be used in Belarusian farms. There's nothing shameful in copying the best global innovations. CHINA , whose economy has become the world's number one, has been doing this for many years," emphasizes the director of JSC Gorodilovo.

"This country has a unique agricultural system , and we brought back some interesting developments, especially in terms of producing calf feed using corn processed using a special technology," says Elena Makritskaya, who, along with members of her team, recently visited Hohhot (Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China) as part of a Belarusian delegation. Gorodilovo employees visited both small farms and large dairy complexes. They found many similarities. For example, Chinese farmers, like Belarusian ones, are hardworking.

JSC "Gorodilovo" is a socially responsible company. The enterprise provides significant support to the local school, kindergarten, hospital, and clinic. It also promotes sports. It also invests in landscaping, which, of course, requires year-round attention. For example, in 2025, declared the Year of Landscaping, the company planted many beautiful flowers in the agro-town.

And here they know not only how to work well, but also how to have fun and enjoyable rest! They spare no expense in this regard.

Firstly, Gorodilovo workers earn well: the average salary in the organization is over 3,000 rubles. For the 31-day harvest alone, the machine operators at Gorodilovo OJSC earned 10,000–11,000 rubles net.

Secondly, this work collective has a fine tradition of sending its best workers to Egypt for a vacation after the autumn fieldwork . This usually happens during the velvet season, from November to March, before the spring fieldwork begins. This year, for example, 15 Gorodilov families visited this hospitable country. The saying is true: as you work, so shall you rest!

NOTES

The Gorodilovo stud farm, where the Polochany equestrian club was founded, houses nearly 110 horses of the Hanoverian and Warmblood breeds. Riders Lolita and Mikhail demonstrated dressage and posture on some of them. Incidentally, the Gorodilovo horses aren't just beautiful. They are internationally renowned. Both individuals and entire stud farms from RUSSIA, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan approach this stud farm to purchase horses.

"We offer horseback riding to everyone on weekends and weekdays, except Mondays. If you've never ridden before, we'll teach you!" promises Svetlana Demesh, foreman at the breeding farm.