Victor Evert, coordinator of Consultation center of the Ukrainian Pig Producers Association

There is no one pig commercial enterprise, which would not require the consultancy service. In Ukraine there are those, who have already established the cooperation (mainly enterprises with foreign investments), the other (the majority) still cannot decide, because, they say, they don’t feel the necessity and don’t know whom to believe. But the situation in the country develops so that only the strongest will survive. To become the same, one must learn and optimize work. Who can teach and organize the system? The consultants can. Their role in our pig breeding business will become more and more immediate. That’s why, it’s necessary to know what consultancy services are available in our market and how to orientate which of them will give the result.

Why to engage a professional «from outside»?

No one pig enterprise is secure from problems or tasks of such complexity that cannot solve all alone. The appropriate way out is to apply the professional consultancy aid. Why not depend upon own resources? The logic is simple. On the first hand, «the darkest place is under the candlestick» — the «fresh» eye is needed to notice a problem and offer the best remedy. The knowledge and experience are essential for it. On the second hand, the constantly occupied in work professional cannot physically (even if he is keen to do this!) be aware of all novelties in hog industry and deal with all pig breeding aspects equally well.

Why so? To become «Jack-of-all-trades» it’s needed to combine theory and practice. It’s not only visiting homeland and foreign educational events, constant practical training and communication with experts of the branch but also the usage of acquirements on different pig enterprises. However it’s important to understand, that the cut-and-dried solution is impossible: every farm is the «separate kingdom», the special case that requires the individual approach.

Who are they to judge?

There are several variants to join the consultancy service in Ukraine.

Foreign consultants

One and all «Danish» enterprises are working under this principle. The Danish Pig Producers Association or big genetic companies or other suppliers provide the technological support of their products (professional consultations). In the majority of cases, these consultants hold a degree in veterinary medicine.

Homeland (Ukrainian) consultants

The specialists of working projects (pig farms, feed-processing plants, often from commercial companies), who can thoroughly analyze the situation on the farm and find the ways of its improvement. There are not many such specialists, but they are! Those, who do not believe in domestic resources, are mistaken, thinking that all foreign is better. It depends! That, the consultant is from abroad doesn’t mean he is a professional. The example is our farms, which suffer from piece of advice of foreign «prof».

Representatives of producer companies

They are the most numerous group of specialists in Ukrainian pig breeding sphere, which can provide the expert opinion with different success rate.

1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of foreign and Ukrainian consultants?

2. Where are the reasons of distrust in Ukrainian specialists?

3. Consultants—swindlers. How to differentiate the professional from a grifter?

You can find answers for these and other questions in the full version of the interview in the magazine «Profitable Pig Production», № 2 (20) 2014.