— How did you make the decision to switch over to Аgrokombinat «Slobozhanskyi», PJSC?

— A meeting with one of the current coowners of Slobozhanskyi stimulated to make the decision. In 2011, they came to Galychyna-Zahid, where I worked at that time, at the invitation of Big Dutchman to see how the equipment of this company operate. I gave a tour and got a proposition to work with them at once. I didn’t give it a serious thought. However, when I got to know that Yaroslav Kebal had taken an offer I agreed to visit the enterprise to see everything with my own eyes and evaluate the amount of work. I still remember: on 8^th March I came there and decided to accept an offer while returning home. In several weeks I plunged into work!

— What was your first impression of of Slobozhanskyi?

— No end of work! We still have a lot to do! Although, it was my main interest and challenge!

— Didn’t you have doubts understanding the specificity and volumes of work?

— No, it took only half a year to get the work of the building service on the right track. Everything got into the swing of things. Constant control became odd, so I got more free time.

The only problem was to move to Kharkov. Most people there speak Russian, that’s why it was difficult to find a Ukrainian-language kindergarten, school as circle of contacts. However, as we live in Ukraine I want my child to call me «tato», not «papa».

— What objects does renovated Аgrokombinat «Slobozhanskyi», PJSC work with?

— Now we have a multiplication farm for 5200 sows and units for growers (to 30 kg) in Ivanivka. We continue rebuilding of the main area — our industrial zone where there are two groups of 5 buildings. Formerly there was a storage house for 1000 tonnes of production between these two groups of buildings, but we built a feed factory there. It’s target capability is 20 tonnes of feed per hour. It should be enough foe a closed-cycle pig farm: 12 000 of sows, 350 000 of commercial pigs annually. It’s the target we want to achieve till 2015. We’re also rebuilding old and building new finishing units for our multiplication farm on the territory of the former breeding farm in Ivanovka. We’re redesigning a closed-cycle farm for 6700 of sows. The building of a new elevator for 40 000 tonnes is planned for 2014. Whether we do everything in time depends on financing as we do not have additional financing since we began to sell commercial pigs. I think it’s right as it makes us to search for better and more efficient decisions.

1) How do they comment the decision of the previous owners to close down a farm?

2) Why do they buy all the replacement gilts abroad?

3) How many did they invest to the pig production business and when they plan to return the money back?

4) What is the secret of their success?

You can find answers for these and other questions in the full version of the interview in the magazine «Profitable Pig Production», № 3 (15) 2013.