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Livestock business
Livestock business
15.01.2020

The farm is located near the village of Trem, near Shumen. Samet's family started raising animals more than 20 years ago, and the young entrepreneur took over the management of the farm in 2003.
The beginning was set with 19 animals, 300 decares of land and 6 workers. Today, the number of animals is over 1,300, the land they cultivate is 22,000 decares, and the workers are 108.

"In the barn all the equipment is from Agritop - rubber mattresses for beds, dividers, rear tube on the food front, manure cleaning system and swinging brushes. I have not changed or repaired anything on this equipment for 10 years. I can call this a return on investment. We are currently building a new barn with them again! ”, Samet Basri, Manager of Ekani AD


Samet Basri's farm has a closed cycle of work - they produce meat products from farm animals, process milk and produce most of the feed needed to feed them on the farm's arable land. The agricultural lands are fertilized with natural manure, which is stored in a dug lagoon with a capacity of 4000 cubic meters.

Samet Basri talks about his partnership with Agritop and his work on the farm:

  • 9 years ago Agritop equipped the first new barn on your farm, was it worth the investment?

We built the barn in 2009. Then Agritop changed some things according to his plan and it's good that they did. We had a lot less open space on the side facades, they made me open more to have better air movement. I was worried because the winters here are very cold and windy and I was afraid that the water might freeze and the animals might be cold. Nothing like that - it provided very good air movement in the barn naturally from the larger open areas with windshields I have a very good suction of ammonia, fresh air and climate optimization.
 
For these 10 years I have not changed or repaired anything on this equipment. I can call this a return on investment. All these investments happen gradually over time. Sometimes a person needs to see the product in 2-3 places to get ready for a particular solution or equipment. This was the case, for example, with the swinging brushes. Agritop advised me to put them in the beginning, but I did it 3 years later, when I was sure we needed it. Then I did an experiment - we installed 3 brands of swinging brushes, after 4-5 months one no longer worked, and the other - horizontal, was not effective enough. Only DELAVAL passed the test and now all the teats in the barn were bought by Agritop.
  • Agritop implement a very good technological solution for cleaning and storing manure in the barn. Does it make everyday work easier?

Yes, this is a system with which the manure of the animals automatically goes to the lagoon, which Agritop calculated, so we can store it for 4 months. In this way we reduced the staff for this stable and for raising the animals. This is all part of the overall efficiency from which the profit comes.
 
 
From 2012 until now, the stored manure goes only to fertilize our lands. We fertilize with two Joskin tanks. This increased the efficiency and yield of arable land.
 
The most important thing is that after 2-3 years we achieved 35% savings in fertilizing the fields treated with manure. In this way, animal husbandry adds value to agriculture.
  • You implemented another project in 2019 - a new building for 130 dairy cows, again you chose to work with Agritop, tell me why?

I chose Agritop to carry out the project because I am already convinced of the quality of the equipment and the efficiency of the technological solutions they implement. It is also very important to me that I get a complete solution from them. They provide me with the design, equipment and service of everything I buy from them.

This saves me searching and talking to different suppliers and the responsibility is taken by one company. I am sure that our next ventures for the construction of buildings and equipment will be with Agritop. In this barn, both the technology and the design are entirely from Agritop, as well as all the equipment. Fans will also be installed here, which will further help to optimize the air in the barn, especially during the hot months. Our goal is to optimize daily work tasks, to minimize costs, to maintain the good condition of animals, respectively to increase quality and increase production.
  • What are your plans for the future?

We plan to further develop beef cattle breeding, and we aim to have 1,000 mothers in three years. About 700 offspring to go out for fattening every year, the rest to remain for replacement and repair of the herd. We are now preparing measures and artificial pastures that we will cultivate and sow so that we can raise the mothers there for at least 8 months.
 
About 900 kg of raw material from the animals on the farm is processed into meat products daily. The milk they process into cheese, yellow cheese and yogurt is about a ton a day. They sell quality meat and dairy products under the Harman brand.
With its premium selection of meat and dairy products, the Harman brand selects the best of the farm and combines it with traditional home-made recipes. The result is a boutique product with a "taste like a time". The Harman brand is synonymous with uncompromising quality, masterful technology and care for every taste detail.
 
Business with a completely closed cycle and clearly defined future plans in response to market demand. Following carefully his strategy and acting measuredly and carefully, Samet Basri managed to create a sustainable business in the difficult situation of Bulgarian animal husbandry and to develop it for 15 years.
  • You are one example of a successful model of work in animal husbandry, but if you had to start over now, would you choose the same path again?

Yes, because after 15 years of work in animal husbandry I can say - it works! If you are serious about this industry and you do it professionally, there is no way not to succeed. The fact that we continue to invest, build new barns and buy animals proves it. However, it requires a lot of work, many sleepless nights, a lot of care and a lot of attention to every detail on the farm, as well as a good team. Then things happen!