"Black gold". How does the rapeseed oilseed processing shop at the Rogachevsky MKK-Service UE of JSC Rogachevsky MKK work

UP «Rogachevsky MKK-Service» was established in March 2020 in the village of Luchin, Rogachevsky district, as a separate unitary enterprise of JSC «Rogachevsky Dairy and Canning Plant». This is a multidisciplinary enterprise working on the provision of agricultural services to farms in the raw material zone of JSC "Rogachev Dairy and Canning Plant". The main activities of the newly established enterprise were the provision of repair and maintenance services for milking and refrigeration equipment, the production of loose and granular compound feeds, as well as the provision of services with agricultural machinery (tillage, forage harvesting, grain harvesting, motor transport services, etc.). The next step of the enterprise was the organization of work on the provision of veterinary services in October 2020.

It hasn't been long, and we realized that we need to develop more actively, expand production. Our founder — JSC «Rogachevsky Dairy and Canning Plant» needs more high-quality milk, — said the director of the UP «Rogachevsky MKK-Service» Sergey Gaikov. Therefore, the General Director of JSC "Rogachev Dairy and Canning Plant"; Ivan Ivanovich Kalupakho proposed to focus on the development of the feed base, improving the quality of feed produced for agricultural enterprises directly subordinate to JSC "Rogachevsky MKK". And now we have six of them: 2 in Rogachevsky, 2 in Zhlobinsky, 1 in Svetlogorsk and Kalinkovichi districts. New agricultural enterprises are expected to join.

In this regard, in the middle of 2021, it was decided to build a workshop for processing rapeseed oil seeds. Prior to this, the company itself purchased protein raw materials (rapeseed cake) from third-party organizations for the production of compound feeds. But this did not bring an economic effect, and the cost of compound feeds for farms was far from the possible optimum.

In July 2021, we began negotiations with Globalprodservice on the acquisition and installation of a high-tech universal line for processing oilseeds, says the director. I would like to note that we have carefully studied the market for this equipment and, of course, were informed about other manufacturers. But we stopped at Globalprodservice, because they offered us real conditions, taking into account our production, the size of the production room, and functionality. The advantage was also that the company itself undertook to carry out supervision and commissioning work with training of maintenance personnel.

A grain storage warehouse was set aside for the new production. To reduce the cost of the project, two large 50 cubic meters stainless steel tanks were used, which were released at the dairy plant after modernization. They were installed for receiving and storing rapeseed oil. Theoretically, they can store a stock of product for more than two weeks. But in practice, the oil goes to the consumer literally "off the wheels" and does not stay in the warehouse for more than three days, emphasizes Sergey Gaikov.

The head of the enterprise also appreciated the possibility of additional improvement of some equipment options, since a ventilation chamber has already been installed in the workshop, which is necessary so that dust particles do not settle on the equipment, work is underway to install another ventilation chamber to remove dust-containing particles from the oil cleaner.

In September 2021, the first trial runs took place in the new workshop, and since October the line has been operating at full capacity around the clock. Since then, the equipment has been stopped only for technological maintenance and cleaning. Depending on the purity of rapeseed, 6-6.5 tons of oil and 13-13.2 tons of cake are produced per day.

The line is fully automated, equipped with a control panel with an operator's workplace. For its direct maintenance and related sites, only two operators are needed: the first monitors the process on a monitor, the second monitors the operation of equipment in the workshop. The work shift lasts 12 hours with a break of one hour. In total, 9 people are employed on the line. Moreover, all of them were trained by specialists of Globalprodservice.

The director says that working on this line has become a good motivation for the staff. The company is working effectively, which means that people receive a decent salary.

According to him, the line is a long-term asset, a good investment in the development of production, and the expectation of making a profit.

We make a profit from the processing of oilseeds and systematically repay the lease. The circuit works fine. Not once, not even for a minute, have you regretted that you launched the project and installed this line," the director notes.

The line produces unrefined rapeseed oil grades P I and II, as well as unrefined rapeseed oil grades T with filtration, separation, without fuze (waste). All this is achieved on our equipment, emphasizes Sergey Gaikov.

It is very important that there is a pre-cleaning operation for oil seeds on the line. That is, rapeseed undergoes another additional cleaning on the separator before loading, which guarantees the culling of broken, small seeds, and weed impurities. Thus, exceptionally pure, grain-to-grain rapeseed gets into the oil press.

The resulting oil is sent for further processing to JSC "Bobruisk Oil Extraction Plant", JSC "AFPC Zhlobinsky meat Processing Plant" branch "Zhlobinsky feed Mill" and other buyers of these products.

The second product of processing is rapeseed cake. It contains 32-35% crude protein. That is, now the company has a cake of its own production for 100% of the needs for the manufacture of compound feeds. In addition, the cake is successfully sold at 5-6 tons per day to other enterprises of the region and the Republic.

So now the protein component is more than 60% covered by components of its own production, which allows you to expand the feed formulation. Rapeseed cake is added to compound feed for calves aged 75 days and older (KDK-2), for fattening cattle (KDK-3), for milking herds of agricultural enterprises of the raw material zone of JSC Rogachevsky MKK, as well as at the request of other agricultural enterprises (KDK-60/61), which contributes to an increase in milk yield and the balance of the animal feed ration.

Now the farms of our raw material zone are fully provided with concentrated feed precisely due to the fact that we have established our own production of cake. That is, we have closed a very wide niche, which was previously occupied by purchased expensive protein raw materials. "This is very important for us," says the director of the company.

After the launch of the project, the average daily milk yields on farms of agricultural enterprises of the raw material zone of JSC Rogachevsky MCC began to grow and have now reached the mark of 17-18 liters per cow. Accordingly, there have been positive changes in the indicators of average annual milk yields. So, the SOUP "Agro-Korotkovichi" last year produced 6,500 kg of milk, the SOUP "To get sick-2010" 5,900 kg.

Sergey Gaikov admits that he expects better results:

By the time we receive 6,500-7,000 kg of milk from a cow, the farms will have a completely different economy. For this purpose, we have created the production of compound feeds. By working to make the rations for livestock richer, we are creating the basis for obtaining higher quality milk, which is very necessary for our dairy plant. Yes, so far we are taking small steps, but I think we will succeed, because the benchmarks are right. We are investing heavily in our agricultural enterprises, from which there will be returns.

According to him, the use of rapeseed cake rations in cattle feeding made it possible not only to maintain the achieved level of milk yield, but also to increase it. Today, the dairy plant receives stable milk from its farms with a small increase. Yes, there has not been a sharp increase in volumes yet, but production is still very young, and the cow is not a machine to abruptly switch to high-performance mode. Nevertheless, there is a movement forward, it is tangible. And it pleases.

At the same time, the task set by the General Director of JSC "Rogachevsky MCC" Ivan Ivanovich Kalupakho is to pay special attention to the productivity of the herd, which depends on the quality of feeding in many ways, but not in everything. There are many other factors that cannot be discounted, such as the need to increase the area for legumes, and the renewal of the herd, and the creation of more comfortable conditions for livestock.

There is also progress on all these tasks. For example, last year a new dairy complex "Zapolye" was built for 600 heads of dairy cattle in SOUP "Zabolotye 2010". The newest complex "Belitsa" for 750 cows in JSC "Lukskoye" has been completed. Old farms are being reconstructed on an ongoing basis and new milking technologies are being introduced there.

We understand that the further development of the raw material zone largely depends on us, the director states. We help farms in various types of agricultural work, in animal husbandry and crop production. Together with the creation of a high-tech feed mill, this has an effect. Our farms have already felt this and, one might say, breathed more freely. I am pleased that a number of problems can be solved by joint efforts, as they say together.

As of January 1, 2022, the Rogachev MCC Service was provided with rapeseed oil seeds by 105% of the required amount. This means that the recycling line is fully loaded and running non-stop. There will be enough raw materials with a rolling stock for the new harvest in 2022.

According to the director, winter rapeseed in the Gomel region brings good results. Of course, last year was frankly difficult and the yield of this oilseed crop on average ranged from 14-15 c/ha. But for individual farms, the yield reached 30 kg/ha. The farms of the raw material zone of the Rogachevsky MKK received a result not record-breaking, but significantly above average: on average, 20 c/ha per circle.

Rapeseed has become a kind of black gold for us, a strong currency, says the head of the enterprise. Therefore, despite the fact that in 2021 the price for the purchase of rapeseed in the Gomel region increased significantly in relation to the national price, we purchased it in the required quantity. They bought 1,500 rubles for 1 ton of oilseeds, while in other regions it was possible to buy cheaper. So we put the raw materials into storage and now we are systematically and without failures processing at full load of the line.

Both its own raw materials and tolls are supplied for processing. But since rapeseed prices increased last year, many farms rushed to sell it themselves. They thought it was more profitable than giving it away for recycling.

More than 50% of oilseeds come to the enterprise from farms in the raw material zone, the rest, necessary for loading the line, is bought by JSC "Rogachev Dairy and Canning Plant" to create a solid feed base.

The products of the rapeseed processing workshop in the general structure of the Rogachev MCC-Service now occupy 10%. From processing 3 tons of raw materials, 1 ton of oil and about 2 tons of cake are obtained. Edible oil of the R-1 and R-2 brands is sold at an average price of 3,455 rubles per 1 ton without VAT. The Director clarifies that these products are sold both under direct long-term contracts to regular consumers and on the stock exchange. The cake is sold to customers at a price of 1,000-1,150 rubles per 1 ton. Considering that 1,500 rubles are paid for 1 ton of raw materials, the yield of processed products and their cost on the market are quite high.

As you can see, now there are good prices for the sale of rapeseed oil processing products. As a result, the profitability of production on the rapeseed line is 7-9%, the director notes.

At the same time, he recalls that the company buys raw materials in the Gomel region at a price higher than the average for the republic. That is, theoretically, the profitability could be higher.

In the production of compound feeds, the Rogachevsky MKK-Service uses not only rapeseed cake, but also soybeans and sunflower. All these are purchased materials and quite expensive. But they are needed so that livestock rations are of real quality. When asked if the company can master the processing of these products on a new line, Sergey Gaikov answers in the affirmative.

"The line that Globalprodservice has supplied to us is universal: it provides for the processing of rapeseed, soybeans, and sunflower," he says. But, based on the geographical features of the Gomel region, rapeseed remains the main product of processing. However, if in the future we decide to expand the range of oilseeds, then the equipment can be reconfigured in just 1-2 days.

The company calculated all the risks of production, the economy and realized that the project to provide feed production with its own oilseed raw materials is beneficial in all respects.

Today we see that we have taken the right course of production, the head is convinced. We produce products by replacing purchased products with our own. As a result, we have a real finished product and earn good money on it. Now we can say that vegetable protein in the form of rapeseed cake of our own production significantly reduces the financial burden on the purchase of protein raw materials.

During the six months of operation of the line, the company reduced the cost of purchasing vegetable proteins by almost a million rubles. These funds were used for other tasks, including investing in the development of the enterprise.

The company highly appreciates the work of the specialists of the private enterprise "Globalprodservice". During the entire operation of the rapeseed oil processing line, there have never been situations where management intervention was required, everything was solved at the level of technical staff. All employees note that the equipment supplier works in close contact with the company's specialists.

"For installing the equipment and maintaining it at the proper level, I think we can give the highest rating," says Sergey Gaikov. "We are completely satisfied with the quality of the line's work. We have studied it well, mastered it, there were no complaints about maintenance or technical support. It is very important that during the implementation of the project there is an opportunity to improve something, change, add some new functions taking into account the wishes of the consumer. This symbiosis, based on business partnerships, is beneficial to both the supplier and the enterprise.

By the way, the director of the UP «Rogachevsky MKK-Service» is ready to show the new production in operation to anyone who intends to purchase the same line.