Oleksii Prymachok, Head of Sales Department, DK FEED

— Oleksiy, what was the beginning of war like for you?

— The war caught me in Berdiansk. I got up at five in the morning and was about to go for a farm audit. At 5.30 the director of the company called me and said: «Go home — the war has started.» I still did not understand what was going on, so I attempted to get to the farm. However, I was persuaded to go home. It took 16 hours to get from Berdiansk to Uman, though ten hours was usually enough. There were long lines at the gas stations and a continuous stream of cars travelling at 50 kilometers an hour.

There was no fear or panic, but I was very worried about my parents, because Uman and its district were attacked in the first hours of the war. When I came back home, I had a feeling of anxiety, and in general I felt sick at heart. In fact, I realized that it would not be like before, and that everything would be different.

— How has life changed in more than two months of war?

— I am a workaholic by nature and usually plunge headlong into work. Many tasks appeared with the outbreak of the war. We have started working much more, there is hardly any free time and it helps stop being driven by emotions.

I understand there is a war, but first of all we need to think about the future, how we will work further, what steps we need to take to survive all this and handle ourselves. If we slaughter cattle now, it will be a disaster. Our main task now is to preserve dairy farms.

— How quickly has the company managed to adapt to work during wartime?

— Immediately, because on the way home on the first day of the war I received phone calls from two farms asking me to make ration adjustments to reduce feed cost. In the first four days, we changed rations for all our farms, some of them used old ones, but we formulated a couple of diet options just to be on the safe side.

We discussed what each farm had in reserve for 2−3 months. We analyzed regions they are in, feed they would or would not be able to buy. We also considered the option to stop milk deliveries for processing. Three types of rations were suggested: 1 — with a smaller share of purchased protein feeds; 2 — without purchased protein feeds (soybean and sunflower meal or cake, distillers grains, as not everyone had leftovers); 3 — with the use of milk as an ingredient in the TMR.

During the first days of the war, many farms were in a critical situation with delivering milk for processing. There were farms, which had to dump their milk. We talked to with our colleagues, nutritionists, and they suggested adding from 10 to 20 liters of raw milk to TMR to replace some protein feeds.

We also revised calf feeding programs, increasing milk amount by 1 to 2 liters per day. In this way, up to 70% of produced milk can be used on the farm and 30% can be sold, processed into hand-made butter or cottage cheese and delivered to local communities.

So basically, we offered several options to all farms we work with. However, if the situation in the region remained calm and stable, there were stocks of feeds or an opportunity to buy them, and processors were taking milk, we advised the farmers to use previously formulated rations and not to reduce milk productivity as it would be more difficult to get it back.

— What are the peculiarities of wartime work and how has it changed compared to peacetime?

— We work with fifty farms (supplying macronutrients, premixes, feed additives, protein concentrates etc.), and provide thirty of them with technological support for balancing rations, but in fact we give advice and provide recommendations to almost all of them. First of all, what has changed is that we have stopped visiting farms and switched to remote feeding support. In the first month, we did not even test feeds and used the previous report data. We also gathered information on the feeds while communicating with animal technicians or those in charge of feeding on the farms.

In fact, we were well-prepared as we started providing remote advisory services on feeding during COVID-19 quarantine. At that time, we created a special checklist for the remote collection of information for ration balancing by the nutritionists. We have been actively using this methodology since the beginning of the war.

The next thing that happened was that about 1.5 months after the war had started, we faced feed crisis: prices of mineral products (salt, soda, chalk) as well as delivery cost increased. For example, salt cost ₴2,800−3,200/ton, now the price ranges from ₴6,500 to ₴9,500/ton. Soda was ₴12,000 per ton, but now I have not seen cheaper than ₴20,000. We still have old stocks of buffers; therefore, prices have not been raised. However, the suppliers warn that in a month or so the price may increase by at least 50%; it depends on logistics and production costs.

Under such conditions, we must save as much as possible. At the same time, we understand that we cannot do without salt, soda, buffer and chalk because there will be negative health consequences for cows.

Also, at first, we considerably reduced the share of purchased protein feed in rations, but with a small loss of productivity — 1−1.5 liters. However, the situation is changing very quickly, prices for meal, cake, distillers grains have gone down, and we have included them into the rations again. Yet today our focus is on macronutrients, in particular, thanks to bulk purchasing we are able to supply them to farms at a more favorable price.

— What is the current situation on the farms you work with?

— We should start with those where the situation is the worst — they are under occupation. Before the war one of the farms in Kherson region reached daily milk yield of 30 liters per cow. With the beginning of the war, they had a problem with milk sales, but later it was solved. Farmers ran out of protein sources resulting in decreased milk production to 20 and even 15 liters. The stocks of mineral supplements were depleted, and there was a problem to deliver them to the occupied territory. There is a catastrophe with veterinary medicines. Under the circumstances, people are doing their best. It is not even a question of productivity, but of keeping the cows alive and healthy.

Here is an example of another farm in Kherson region. Milk production per cow has fallen by 30% there. They have only sunflower meal left among other types of meal. Over time they found a way to process their own soybeans, but they cannot bring large batches of meal because armed occupants check warehouses every day, looking for something to confiscate.

Salt supplementation is critical — you can hardly get it. Cows need at least 60 g of salt per day. We managed to deliver there some buffer before the war; there is enough for another month and a half.

From the beginning of the war there was a problem with milk delivering to processing plants. Raw milk was partly added into the ration and partly distributed among the residents, and the remainder was simply dumped. Later they found a plant to deliver their milk. Now the situation has been more or less settled down, the farm works, but nobody knows what will happen next.

Damage to the dairy farms in liberated territories of Kyiv, Chernihiv and Sumy regions is being assessed.

— What is happening to farms in central and western Ukraine?

— The situation has stabilized after the shock of the first days. Let me give you an example of a farm in Poltava region. Two weeks before the war they had reached a daily milk production of 30 liters per cow. They had no troubles selling milk, so the manager decided not to change the ration. The only thing was that they added peas, available on the farm, to the ration after two weeks. Currently they are milking 31.5 liters using this ration.

We advised the farms in rear areas: if there are no problems with milk sales and feed supply, use the same rations. If there are problems, we will reduce productivity, so as not to dump milk and save on feeds.

Some farms have switched to a «lighter» ration in terms of protein content: from 16.5−17% to 13.5−15%. However, in spite of high prices of purchased feeds at the time, some returned to their previous protein and production levels because it was quiet, and milk was delivered to processing plants.

— Do farms in central and western regions have at least any margin at current production costs and milk prices?

— It is a difficult question and should be addressed directly to milk producers. Of course, business always looks at how much it earns. Why keep an unprofitable farm? Although it is clear that our main task now is to survive and preserve cattle.

Therefore, we try to persuade the agriproducers we work with: even if we lose profits now, we should seek the ways to reach at least a break-even level and keep the production, otherwise we will provoke a food crisis.

The good news is that the milk price has recovered, exceeding ₴11/kg. Farmers have received back three hryvnias per kilogram of milk. I think under such conditions one can work and fight for survival.

— What products and services are in demand right now? What are the main areas of work?

— I will note right away that we do not conduct technological audits of dairy farms as we need to be present on the farm, but we have already resumed the work of the feed laboratory and use test results when balancing rations.

By the way, developing and adjusting rations is the most demanded service on dairy farms. Rations have to be adjusted quite often. For example, wheat bran are available now, and we have started adding it to the rations to save on protein feeds. Some farms began to use peas.

The most popular products are buffer, salt, soda, energy products for feeding fresh cows, as well as calf starters, the price of which has not changed while the delivery cost has increased.

We have partially given up premixes for milking cows. We try to use them for dry cows, because the lack of proper support for animals during this critical period can lead to outbreaks of postpartum disorders, which are much more expensive to treat than to prevent.

— You introduced innovative products to Ukrainian farms before the war. Are these products still needed? Are they available?

— These products have been sidelined. In case of a high producing cow these kinds of additives are reasonable to use only when the whole technological chain works.

In my opinion, this is not the time to think about high technology. The main thing is to meet the cows' basic nutritional needs. We have to think about survival.

So, my recommendation is: if possible, make at least a 3-month supply of protein feed and macronutrients — salt, chalk and soda, or a buffer (a buffer is better, because it is cheaper in the end and has a better effect).

— Have new directions emerged due to the war?

— Our company is actively assisting the charity foundation SaveUA organized at the initiative of the Ukrainian AgriCouncil (UAC), the Association of Milk Producers and the Association of Pig Producers of Ukraine, in particular in implementing the «Marshall Plan» for Ukrainian livestock farming. It envisages humanitarian aid with inputs to farms most affected by the war.

Humanitarian supplies will be delivered to Ukrainian farms in different regions and, first and foremost, in Kyiv, Chernihiv and Sumy regions that have been liberated after russia’s occupation. The situation there is critical and even tragic. Infrastructure has been destroyed, as well as machinery and equipment, and part of the livestock is lost. The remaining cattle have big health problems.

Those were highly productive herds, where daily milk yield per cow was more than 30 liters, and now it is 5−10 liters. There are many farms like that, and any help for them would be a blessing. All this could give a good boost to farm recovery.

In general, we have revised and analyzed the needs, and developed lists of necessary feed components, including volumes, for each affected farm. We are ready to do this for every company that agrees to support our producers depending on its product line.

— Forage harvesting season has already started out. What should we pay attention to?

— Forage harvesting is the most critical period for our farmers, and particularly this year in war conditions. There are no small things and every effort must be made to ensure that there are no technological shortcomings in any of the areas.

We usually work with regular partners, but this year it would be good to analyze suppliers of silage film, preservatives, inoculants and check the price. Do your best, call around, find out, do the math and make the best choice. If possible, do not skimp on film and inoculants, and do not buy products of dubious origin in order not to lose much more due to feed spoilage.

For our part, we have already monitored the market and companies, what they can offer and at what price. Through bulk orders, we can get a better price offer and make deliveries for our farms.

— Summer is coming, what advice on feeding would you give to reduce the negative effects of heat stress?

— When it comes to a technological rather than a commercial solution, I would advise to look at highly digestible fiber. If you have grass silage with better digestibility or maize silage with higher starch content, hold on to them for the summer.

There are a lot of commercial products we used, but today it is not a priority to buy them. Of course, if commercial companies or international donors can provide pro- or prebiotics that help control heat stress, that would be great. However, in the situation when everything is in short supply, you have to carefully consider and use your feeds effectively.

— What did two months of war teach you?

— As I work for the company, that provides technological advice and feeds, I have come to the following conclusion: you have to be provident and buy feed at a cheaper price in season.

I would advise to buy key protein ingredients for a longer period. In particular, rapeseed meal can be preserved well even for 6−9 months. There are farms which bought it in the season at a good price, and it has now become our salvation. One should have minerals at least for 3 months.

There is one more lesson, not related to feeding. Those companies that have their own milk processing facilities are in a better position. I see the following main advantages in having processing facilities: 1) you create jobs; 2) lower logistics costs; 3) quality. You cannot produce products with bad quality for your community, because everyone knows you. In my opinion, this format — local brands — could be a good future for dairy farms, including large ones. It can be done with their volumes and production level.

DK FEED ltd.

Phone: +38 (067) 508 68 71 — Halyna Kuzhel

e-mail: dkfeed.ltd@gmail.com

Under military status, all materials of the magazine are promptly and completely published on the website www.milkua.info. We will provide subscribers with a PDF version of each issue. Anyone who wants to have a selection of materials at hand can get free access to the online version. Due to difficulties with printing and delivery, we do not plan a paper version of the magazine in the near future, but we will return to it at the first opportunity.