Rules for Success in Agribusiness - Magazine

Entrepreneurs Maksym Mostovoy and Sergey Meshkov can arrange the most exquisite lunch for themselves right at work. It's simple: the main product of their company "Osetr" is black caviar. Last year, the entrepreneurs collected 300 kg of the delicacy on 2,000 square meters of ponds of their fish farm, and the company's revenue amounted to 4.5 million hryvnia. "It all started with my father's story about the prospects of such a business back in the early 2000s," Mostovoy recalls.

The Osetr fish farm waited 10 years for the first harvest of black caviar. It was worth the wait: now the delicacy is sold for $1,000 per kilogram
The Osetr lake is divided into zones. The technology of growing fish in cages allows for their growth to be accelerated by 30%.

The Osetr lake is divided into zones. Fish of different ages and species live in each of them. The technology of growing fish in cages allows for their growth to be accelerated by 30%. The company currently grows the main varieties of sturgeon: sterlet, Russian sturgeon and beluga.
Maksim Mostovoy (left) found his goldfish. He grants wishes every year

The basis for his own sturgeon farm was an abandoned fish farm in the city of Ukrainka, 20 km from Kyiv. In 2000, the partners spent about $30,000 to restore the enterprise. Part of the funds went to the purchase of sturgeon broodstock and feed. The entrepreneurs' business intuition did not deceive them. The advantage of the fish farm was its location near the Tripolskaya TPP. According to fish breeders, there were ideal conditions for breeding sturgeon: a depth of more than 5 m, a sandy bottom, water saturated with oxygen - all this allows fish to be grown all year round.

The fish fry are grown using a special technology in closed pools equipped with climate control and water circulation systems

The fish fry are grown in special closed pools equipped with a water circulation system, saturating the water with oxygen and maintaining the desired microclimate. This accelerates the growth of the fry and allows the fish to spawn all year round. To feed the fry, the company grows special crustaceans Artemia salina. The company's feeding of the wards costs about $40,000 per year.

IT TAKES 10 YEARS TO SET UP CAVIAR PRODUCTION

The caviar yield from each fish is about 10-15% of its own weight. One sterlet produces about 250 g of caviar, sturgeon - up to 1.5 kg.

It will take at least 10 years to set up industrial caviar production. For example, sterlet produces its first caviar after six to seven years, and sturgeon after eight to ten. The caviar yield from each fish is about 10-15% of its own weight. One sterlet produces about 250 g of caviar, sturgeon - up to 1.5 kg.

Caviar is collected annually, from November to January. Each adult fish undergoes an ultrasound examination, which allows us to determine the presence of caviar. The quality of the caviar is determined using a special probe. Mature caviar is collected by the "milking" method. In this way, the fish remains alive and continues to produce caviar.

The finished product is not cheap - about $ 1,000 per kilogram. However, the company has no problems with sales. "We have already begun to limit the clientele," says Mostovoy. This year, the company plans to sell 500 kg of caviar. To meet the growing demand, Osetr plans to increase the area of ​​​​its water management by 30%. Author-Ekaterina Shumilo-09.22.2016

Photographer Alexander Lobanov
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