Bashtanka Cheese Plant, which is known for its Slavia brand products, is considering resuming operations in the Mykolaiv region, Vladyslav Dmytriv, the head of the Bashtanka district military administration, has said.
“I spoke with the management of the Milk Alliance group of companies, which includes Bashtanka Cheese Plant, as well as with the company’s director. They said they’ wee thinking about bringing the business back to the Mykolaiv region and resuming at least part of the production there. As you know, it has now been relocated. However, it is helping the Bashtanka authorities rebuild the region, supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and many of its employees have been mobilized and are defending Ukraine at the front,” Dmytriv said.
He noted that the main problem at the moment was the lack of raw materials – the plant needed 100 tons of milk per day to reach minimum profitability. In the Bashtanka district, part of which experienced hostilities and occupation, the number of livestock has fallen by 60-70% over the past 2-3 years.
“I live in the village myself and can confirm that the number of cows has decreased significantly in recent years, from 75 to less than 30. However, people are gradually returning, so we’re optimistic that the situation will stabilize. These days, private milk collectors come to the district several times a week to deliver milk to Kryvyi Rih and Voznesensk. There used to be nine milk trucks, but now there are only two,” said Dmytriv.
In his opinion, in order to develop dairy farming, several problems need to be solved: providing a fodder base, including demining the territories so that people have a place to graze their cattle. In addition, it is necessary to provide assistance for raising young animals and change the pricing policy for the purchase of milk. Today, milk producers buy milk from households at UAH 16 per liter, while it costs UAH 30 on the market.
“There is one more thing – most people of retirement age remain in the villages. It is already difficult for them to keep cattle, so we are waiting for our Victory and the return of our defenders home,” he added.
The Bashtanka district unites 279 settlements, with a total population of 138,000 before the full-scale invasion.
As reported, 207 industrial enterprises in the Mykolaiv region have been damaged since the full-scale war began. Following the damage sustained, Bashtanka Cheese Plant has been relocated to another region.
A year ago, Vladyslav Dmytriv said that Bashtanka Cheese Plant, which was heavily damaged during the fierce fighting in the region, lacked raw materials to resume operations. (Ukrinform)