The future of the dairy industry: what results show the current ITC

Large-scale upgrade of dairy complexes continues in Belarus. Bet on technology, better conditions for keeping animals and further development of the industry. The quality of dairy products begins with raw materials. How are the tasks set by the Head of State to renew capacities being fulfilled, what results do the existing ITCs show and what is the situation in the regions? Details - in the program "At the control of the President", released on Thursday, September 24, in the evening broadcast of the TV channel "Belarus 1".

In the Vetkovo district of the Gomel region, not only are they actively recovering from the Chernobyl tragedy, but they are also investing in the development of the agro-industrial complex. Construction of new dairy complexes is a good step forward. A good example is the branch of the Agro-Vetka enterprise in the village of Tarasovka. It took a year and a half to complete the project, faster than originally planned. The farm understood that the sooner the facility starts working, the faster the investment will pay off. In March, they reached stable yields.

- Today there are 470 heads of cows, managed to reach an average yield of 17 liters per cow. In the old complex, we grow only calves. This year, a small number of nethers were bought from neighboring farms, a total of about 300-400 heads are missing. We plan to re-equip the old pig farm for growing bulls, says Artem Gorbachev, Executive Director of Vetkov Agroservice OJSC.

Such a large-scale upgrade is a powerful resource for the development of the enterprise in the coming years. The new complex in Agro-Vetka is adjacent to the old buildings. Raw materials are supplied to the Rogachevsky Dairy Cannery. Of course, the higher the grade of milk, the better the quality of the finished product. Now the farm receives 100 percent of milk of the extra class, daily the company sells 9100 kg of milk, every month there are added. A positive result of work has a positive effect on the economy of the enterprise. Large-scale reconstruction and construction of new dairy complexes in our country has been underway for several years. This is stipulated by the relevant decree of the Head of State, so that the industry develops, animals have good conditions of detention, and people have comfortable jobs. All this ultimately gives a serious increase in milk, and this, in turn, a full domestic market and foreign exchange earnings from the sale of products.

Updating the capacities of Iskra-Vetka OJSC cost 15 million rubles. The bet on modern sites is justified: last year the complex was fully staffed with a herd and has already reached good milk yields. Now plus the volume of production, and the capabilities of the enterprise itself. This is an example of the fact that modern livestock farming can be a high-tech and, most importantly, a profitable business. According to the director of Iskra-Vetka OJSC Alexander Sachava, new production always gives an impetus to development:

- Without updating equipment and livestock facilities, there will be no development. Last year, we received 800 liters of milk per cow, or 61 percent of the total milk for the farm.

In Buda-Koshelevsky district near the village of Pribor there is a modern dairy complex "Pridor", which is part of OJSC "Nikolaevka". The farm is an exemplary picture - capital buildings, advanced technologies and automation, spacious warm sheds for milking herds and under dry land, as well as a milking hall of the Parallel type. Director of OJSC "Nikolaevka" Vasily Ponomarev draws attention to the fact that ITC was built for a year and a half and in December 2024 put into operation:

The complex is designed for 1116 heads. Three farms were closed and the milking herd moved here. The complex cost 18 million rubles. In such facilities, the state invests considerable funds and has the right to count on returns. When implementing the project, the farm had a clear task - to reach 7000 kilograms of milk per cow per year. For new MTKs, this is essentially a basic minimum. However, these indicators are far away. The average yield per cow at the end of last year was more than two times lower than the established norm.

The complex was built within the terms determined by the presidential decree. However, it was equipped with a low-productivity herd, as a result, the average yield per cow for 2025 was 3,000 kilograms. The State Control Committee drew the attention of the Gomel Regional Executive Committee and the Buda-Koshelevsky District Executive Committee to ensure the effective operation of this complex, said Inna Skreblo, head of the Department of the Gomel Region State Control Committee.

Local authorities recognize the problem and measures are being taken. According to the First Deputy Chairman, Head of the Buda-Koshelevsky District Executive Committee Alexander Kovalev, a strategy was chosen to gradually replace low-productive cattle with high-productive ones: About 50 percent of the low-productive livestock we have already replaced, during the first quarter of 2027 we will staff this complex. Due to the introduction of carriers, we plan to get 20 liters of milk. The efficiency of each invested ruble for business is critically important, especially when it comes to public resources. This concerns not only the completion of productive herds, but also the construction of dairy complexes themselves. The position of the President is unchanged – to approach the matter rationally and professionally. Excessive pathos and choromas are not necessary for animals. What is really important to them is good care, quality nutrition and adherence to technology. Everything should be cheap and functional. Don't build with excess. We don't need square meters, we need a functional calf for the number of heads. It is necessary to decide with the governors, this is, of course, their business, but why build twice as expensive? the Head of State drew attention during a working trip to the Petrikovsky district, where on April 26, 2026 he visited the Agro-Lyaskovichi dairy complex. Kushliki OJSC is an advanced farm of Vitebsk region, at the helm a leader with 40 years of experience. Thanks to the new dairy complex and a large-scale upgrade, it was possible to reduce human labor to a minimum: electronics itself keeps records of milk yields and controls the condition of each Burenka, cleaning and feeding are also for machines. The complex now has 620 heads. For calves, optimal conditions are created here, all in individual boxes, on thatched litter. But the cherished bar of 7000 kilograms of milk per cow is still a target for the future.

The specialists of the State Control Committee are not the first time in the ITC “Parkhimkovichi” for the year. This complex in the Mogilev region is one of ten that were built in 2024 by decree of the Head of State. The design capacity of the facility is more than 1000 cattle places, including 600 heads of dairy herd. Today, the farm conducts an analysis on livestock productivity, culling and filling the complex with its own carriers. Now the key issue is the economy of the enterprise. In the meantime, the efficiency of the complex is hampered by an unproductive milking herd. To this is added the situation with violation of feeding technologies. As a result, the average daily milk yield per cow in the farm is far from the estimated figures. However, at the end of the year, the management is optimistic: they say they intend to reach the design capacity. The main thing is there is a solution. The state control committee keeps the situation under control.

- The population is currently being updated. In addition, this year the farm has prepared a larger amount of silo, that is, there should be no divergence and a sharp change in feeding, said Galina Filipenko, Deputy Chairman of the Bobruisk Interdistrict Committee of State Control. To increase yields, the farm resorted to the fact that the beginning of grinding of the harvested grain this year. This will allow you to raise the starch content in the diet. Special attention is paid to the dairy industry in our country. And the positive examples of the work of enterprises are still much more. Otherwise, where would the record 9 million tons of white gold come from last year? Another question is what is behind these numbers. Continuous control and tight demand! Our food security depends on it. The main thing is to ensure the whole process and work for yourself, get quality products, feed your people and profitably sell products abroad. celyuk@sb.by