Vitaliy Bulenko, head of the Biopreparat Manufacturing Company LLC, is a businessman of the «second wave» but the first in his field — a certified engineer in the operation of radio-electronic equipment, an accountant-auditor with experience serving his homeland in various state institutions. He values a dinner table with meat dishes, keeps exclusive recipes in his personal culinary archive, and knows that the best breeds of poultry, pork and beef are raised on the TEP soy he has been producing himself for over 13 years. Besides him, this is known to livestock farmers in all regions of Ukraine, the CIS countries and far abroad. The business and partner relations began in 2000. At that time in Ukraine his idea was the first; today it has become cutting-edge. The businessman told «Eto Zdorovo. Poltava» how it all happened, on the eve of an upcoming event: the awarding of a state honor for which he was nominated in the category «honored worker of trade».
At the start of our conversation, Vitaliy Bulenko very delicately asked to convey to the reader as precisely as possible the essence of the topic: «important: we are not talking about the soy that is added to semi-finished and ready-made products for sale when processing meat. This is about something completely different. We grow and process a special variety of soy for feeding livestock in animal husbandry». Undoubtedly, the topic we set out to discuss is immensely interesting and at the same time complex, and not only from the point of view of running a business. The enormous work done over many years has been appreciated by partners, has gained colossal demand and is of international significance.
- Is the information about how much money has been invested confidential?
- I would say — confidential. Imagine — a single plant costs 20 million US dollars. And besides, whatever the investments and profit, the country always benefits from people who pay taxes, even if only in the amount of 1,000 hryvnia. Speaking of our "turnover", we are 11th in Ukraine among enterprises by the indicator «tax revenues" under NACE code 46.21 - wholesale trade of grain and animal feed.
- How necessary is your business for Ukraine, in your view?
- Our country has great potential as an agrarian power, and by developing high-quality fattening in animal husbandry we can compete with both the CIS countries and the EU, increasing the export of our product many times over. And that brings only advantages, I would note for all the parties involved.
- You said that cooperation with partners from Russia, other CIS countries and abroad is well developed? With which countries exactly do you work, and are you called producer number one?
- When I was choosing a business direction, I decided: soy. That was 14 years ago, a priority and promising product on our market. At that time few people took it seriously. And so we became the first producer of TEP soy in Ukraine, and today we are №1, and I think we will remain in the leading position for a long time, since we have great experience and developments. We sell our product in Poland, Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and the UAE. Today we are in talks with several more countries of the European Union.
- Still, to clarify: does your enterprise act as a distributor of TEP soy or as a producer with its own base of technical resources?
- Without a doubt, we work as a producer with a technical resource base — equipment of the latest design made in the Netherlands, which allows us to carry out the process of hydrothermal treatment (expansion) of soy. The methodology of the process was developed using American technology, which is also recognized in the countries of the European Union.
- What shortcomings do you see in similar activities on the territory of our country?
- Only in the quality of the product offered, whose quality depends on the soy processing technologies. This is obvious.
- So, your enterprise’s leading service is the processing and sale of TEP soy as well as the sale of seed soy and commercial soy — as stated on the website… The reader has surely already asked: what kind of product is this?
- The main thing: TEP soy is one of the most valuable components of compound feed for farm animals and poultry, and there is an explanation and proof of this.
Subheading: What is TEP soy?
- There is a Soy Institute where special attention is paid to its selection and seed production. And today, within the framework of this scientific work, colossal discoveries have been made. And all of this is thanks to the fact that the research is conducted in three main directions at once. And here is a bit of special terminology. First: the introduction and assessment of non-traditional methods of soy selection to obtain valuable source material and to create productive, high-quality soy varieties. Second: the direction concerns the search for ways to improve the methodology of supporting selection (primary seed production) in order to obtain high-quality seeds of soy varieties. And third: agrochemical research, which studies the influence of various microfertilizers on soy. You know what is also important — over the period of the Institute’s existence, in cooperation with other scientific institutions, 18 soy varieties have been created. And in recent years three more soy varieties have been submitted for state examination.
- It is clear that conducting scientific research in any field requires professional staff?
- Here it is worth clarifying: both in selection and in seed production. Specialists with comprehensive knowledge are needed here. They must be not only professionals in agronomy but also know plant selection, seed production and morphology well. Internships help to acquire this knowledge.
- Where does the training for acquiring advanced knowledge take place?
- Over the past three years our scientist colleagues have completed 8 internships, both in Ukraine and abroad. Thanks to this, they have understood marker selection in general, and of soy in particular, in more detail, and have delved more deeply into the genetics of soy.
- How expensive are these scientific master classes, and how much time and how many trainings do your colleagues need to reach the desired knowledge?
- Here it is best to quote the words of the great scientist-agronomist, resource expert and plant collector Vavilov - «they are priceless». And it is impossible to name the exact number of internships needed so that, on the basis of a basic education, one becomes a professional in selection after, say, three or four internships. In the process of acquiring new knowledge a specialist constantly learns something new; the more they arm themselves with knowledge, the higher their level as a specialist. And in general it is very individual: for one specialist 3 internships are enough, while in another case even 10 is not enough.
- Briefly: what problems in animal husbandry does the introduction of deeply hydrothermally treated full-fat soy solve?
- In a nutshell: in the compound feed industry it is difficult to provide the appropriate energy level for nutrient mixtures with a high protein content. Fats must be constantly added. The ideal solution to this issue is the use of expanded full-fat soy, which is simultaneously a source of energy, protein and essential amino acids. Feeding this feed makes it possible to most fully realize the genetic potential of animals and poultry. As I said earlier, this feed additive is being introduced both in the USA and in European countries.
- And the storage guarantees?
- Without loss of quality, 2.5–3 months. This is due to the low moisture content of the product and the destruction during the technological process of the enzymes lipase and lipoxygenase, which affect oil oxidation, since full-fat soy is characterized by a high content of amino acids, minerals and vitamins. The lecithin complex is fully preserved in it, as well as a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids.
- What shall we answer the buyer to the important question: why is meat raised on TEP soy without the use of GMOs healthy?
- In our product, after processing, as you have already understood, all the vitamins, fats and proteins are preserved, and all the harmful substances inherent in soy are eliminated. And here one must understand the difference: there is the soy that is added to meat in the process of making sausage, which practically all meat-processing plants do. And there is compound feed based on soy. And only depending on the type of its processing is it healthy or harmful for the composition of the meat. A person who raises a chicken or a pig for themselves, or as if for themselves, will use our product. The one who does not look to the future and does not wish to study a product superior in every respect — that one does not look at quality. Moreover, our specialists can prove to any technologist not only the advantages of our product but also its economic benefit.
- The product’s prospects, say, in 5 years
- In the USA and Europe a similar product has been used for more than 3 years and the demand for it is significant. Today many livestock complexes turn to us — ones that care about a quality product, work on minimizing livestock diseases and worry about people’s health. There is some food for thought for you.
- To whom do you address your information first of all?
- First of all, to those who think about the health of themselves and those around them. To those who are engaged in animal husbandry and wish to run their business according to the latest developments in this field, taking the European experience into account
Subheading: In 2014 — officially recognized as the best
Photo of the diploma
- Vitaliy, we know that you became a laureate in the category «trade leader -2014» based on the results of 2012-2013 in the national business rating…
- And very soon, on 25 December this year — I am very much looking forward to this event — the award ceremony will take place in Kyiv, in the congress hall of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Ukraine, with the conferring of the title «honored worker of trade».
- All this suggests that you are on the right path…
- Our products are in demand. And, being in cooperation with the Soy Institute and the association of producers, we are known and respected in agribusiness. I am glad for our team, a half-male team with a total staff of about 40 people. Everything we have achieved is the result of the work of our research staff — agronomists, heads of agricultural enterprises, lawyers, accountants, the security service, machine operators and engineering-technical workers — and thanks to our founder Andrey Pilipchenko, this whole organism works in a coordinated and precise way.
