Goat milk production is a promising business

Given the current volumes of dairy product consumption in Russia, opening a mini-farm is the optimal solution for starting business activity. Farming for goat breeding and dairy production is promising both in terms of payback and for further expansion.

This material presents a detailed business plan for a goat farm. The article will tell you about the specifics of the case and the necessary investments.

1. The situation on the Russian milk market 2. What goods can be produced on a farm? 3. Benefits of goat milk 4. Basic costs of starting a business 5. Land rent 6. Buildings 7. Equipment 8. Breeding and feeding 9. Personnel 10. Payback calculation 11. Promotion 12. Conclusion

The situation on the Russian milk market

The Russian dairy market has not been in the best condition in recent years. Since 2012, consumption of milk and milk-containing products has been declining. However, according to experts, the situation will soon improve. In the future, we can count on recovery and growth in consumption.

The goat milk market is very poorly developed in Russia and the CIS countries. The overwhelming share of the product is produced by individual farms with a small number of livestock. The number of dairy goats in the country is estimated at 1.5-2 million.

Demand for goat milk is growing - it is a healthy product that consumers are increasingly looking for on store shelves. The ban on European imports, the lack of competitors and growing demand are factors that will definitely have a positive impact on the livestock business.

Goat milk production is a promising business

Goat's milk has a regular audience - children suffering from allergies and diathesis (doctors recommend this product to them), as well as adults for whom cow's milk is contraindicated for medical reasons. This is a promising business that can be mastered competently...

Market players are able to significantly expand their “electorate” through consumers who are partial to “healthy” dairy products. Take, for example, the fact that goat’s milk is absorbed by the body several times better than cow’s. This useful product is still present on our shelves in very modest quantities, and retail prices for goat’s milk are off the charts. But so far only a few companies have managed to gain a strong foothold in this niche. Our reasons are practically the same as in neighboring Russia.

The fact is that in general, goat milk consumption in Russia is still extremely low. In Holland, for example, there are 20 liters per person per year, but here we are talking about grams. “There are approximately 50 goat farms in Russia; not all of them are successful, and the number of goats varies from 50 goats to three thousand,” Igor Goldman, head of the Golden Goat association, assesses the situation. But farmers have their own advantages. They make pasteurized milk with a short shelf life. But it is very difficult to achieve wide market coverage with such a product.

The demand for sterilized goat milk, as they say in retail chains, does not have a clear upward trend. “It is regularly purchased by our professional clients from the Horeca sector - hotels, restaurants, catering companies, who use this product in preparing dishes and, less often, in its pure form,” says METRO Cash and Carry. “This product does not have a pronounced seasonality, it has its own buyer, so it is in stable demand from year to year.” Sales of goat milk in METRO are no more than 2% of the total turnover of dairy products. "ABC of Taste", aimed at gourmets and advanced eaters, shows the best result - 5-7% of the total milk turnover; the network sells five thousand tons per month.

As a product category, goat milk in Russia exists independently of advertising. They admit: even for routine promotions in networks there is not always enough financial resources. On the other hand, not everything is going well for the players not only with consumers, but also with production. I mean, with goats. Those farms - both large and very small - that began raising goats in the early 90s had to start from scratch.

There has never been industrial dairy goat farming in Russia. “There are only two million goats in Russia, and these are semi-wild animals - outbred, mixed-breed,” notes Igor Goldman (“Golden Goat”). 80-90% of goats in our country live in farmsteads - in tandem with grandmothers. There is no high-quality goat “gene pool”, and goat breeders dreaming of high milk yields bring animals from Europe and New Zealand, where dairy goat breeding flourishes and smells. “Clean Line,” for example, transported 130 goats from Holland this winter. “They are simply beautiful,” says Gagik Evoyan. - Cost a thousand euros apiece. They are now 11 months old. We will milk them for seven years. For every 100 heads, the offspring is 150 goats. They are giving birth to twins or triplets.”

Goats will die in infancy: raising them is unprofitable. The cost of a five-month-old goat is $200–300 (it produces two to three liters of milk per day); It is difficult to sell goat meat at such prices, unless restaurants agree to take minimum quantities. “Every spring we raise 30–40 goat heads for ourselves,” says Evoyan. — We eat ourselves, we treat our friends. The meat is tender, a real delicacy.”

On a few Russian farms, goats can be purchased cheaper. Average prices are 16–24 thousand rubles. This is a good option for beginners: to try their hand at goat farming without breaking the bank. “It’s better to start with a hundred goals,” advises Igor Goldman.

Purchasing livestock is just the beginning. On Russian farms, the death rate of young animals reaches 30–50%. The most difficult thing is not to make mistakes when preparing a diet: goats are very whimsical. “Goats are not far from their nature,” says Goldman. — They began to be selected later than cattle. They are used to running in the mountains. They need minerals, vitamins, and herbs.”

Only a few achieve success in goat breeding, and they take years to achieve this. “We buy purebred goats, and only after five years we manage to “purify” the generation, obtaining a herd of purebred milking goats,” says Tigran Matinyan. The milk yield of purebred goats is several times higher than that of ordinary goats.

The lack of high-quality feed, artificial insemination, and sometimes machine milking, a high share of manual labor on farms, “small-scale production” - all this leads to the high cost of goat milk. According to Goldman's estimates, on average it should be 10–15 rubles per liter. But in reality everything is different. “On a farm that is already operating at full speed, the cost is a little more than 30 rubles per liter,” says Kozhanov. On the Prinevskoye farm (Leningrad Region), where a couple of years ago, as part of a national project, a “goat breeding project” was launched (“about a thousand goats were settled”), taking into account depreciation, the cost of milk is 24 rubles, to which 7 rubles are added for preparation for sale .

At the same time, the cost of cow's milk is 12–14 rubles per liter. But the goat eats less. According to Gagik Evoyan, the daily ration in money for a goat on the Clean Line farm (on the Krasnaya Niva collective farm) is 60 rubles, for a cow - 200–300. “Goats require more care,” this is how goat breeders usually explain the high cost of their production.

Goat breeders can sell their milk at the capital market for 60–90 rubles per liter. The selling price at the Sernur plant (Mari El) is 45 rubles per liter. Profitability appears to be quite good. “Our profitability used to reach 37%, now it’s 15%,” says Alexander Bodrov (“Nadezhda”). - Everything is becoming more expensive. But everything is relative. The collective farm next to us, with the cost of cow's milk at 12–14 rubles, can only sell it for nine and a half rubles. So my goats and I are holding up well for now.”

But you shouldn’t expect quick earnings in this niche. “To be honest, in the seven years of our existence, only in the last year have we made any profit,” admits Vladimir Kozhanov.

Major players in the dairy market are not yet interested in goat milk. The segment is very narrow. “The volume of the goat milk market in Russia is now no more than 300 million rubles per year,” estimates Tigran Matinyan. - Such volumes of salivation in large people If the popularization of goat milk begins, then a liter per year per person is a very realistic guideline. But this is already 140 thousand tons per year. So it will be. But only after 20 years.”

“In the first months, we sold half a ton of milk per month, and now - 15-16 tons,” says Vladimir Kozhanov (Sernursky plant). — The market is growing, and the cost of goat milk will decrease with the emergence of qualifications and skills. The time lag is five years.

“The market is actually limitless,” dreams Alexander Bodrov. — For example, in New Zealand baby food is produced based on goat milk. Something similar could also be started in Russia. Secondly, our healthcare system could use it. We tried to sell our milk to children’s kitchens and medical institutions, but they told us: where are the therapist’s recommendations approved by the Ministry of Health?”

According to Pavel Isaev (Unimilk), it makes no sense for large companies to deal with goat milk, if only because of the obvious lack of raw materials resulting from the underdevelopment of this segment of agriculture. “This is a niche for small entrepreneurs,” he is sure. “Especially since there is now an abundance of processing capacity on the market, and it is quite possible to find a buyer who will bottle goat milk for reasonable money.”

Oh, if only goats weren’t such cunning animals!

The path for workers in this niche is not easy. Much like those winding mountain paths where their “cash cows” roam. But there are no simple segments. Simple is almost synonymous with universal.

What goods can be produced on a farm?

Goats - small livestock - are capable of producing more than just milk. Other products in demand include animal meat and goat hair. At the same time, you can breed animals and sell them at fairs.

But most of the revenue will come from the sale of milk. For several reasons:

• Goat meat is not in high demand among buyers. You need to be able to cook it correctly so that it turns out soft, without an unpleasant smell or taste.
• Producing goat hair will take a long time. You will have to comb the goats and look after them.

For each specialization, you need to choose your own breed: dairy, meat, down or wool goats.

In this material we will consider the production and sale of milk.

Registration

The first step is to register your activities in accordance with the requirements of Russian legislation. There are two main options: LLC and individual entrepreneur.

In their reviews, farmers advise future owners of mini-farms to choose the option of individual entrepreneurship. There are two main reasons: the speed of registration and its low (compared to establishing an LLC) cost.

It is important to select the correct OKVED code when registering an individual entrepreneur. If you have a business producing cheese from goat's milk, you must select the code “Goat breeding. Production and sale of dairy products."

Benefits of goat milk

Goat milk is considered the healthiest. This is a hypoallergenic product that is well absorbed by the body (5 times faster than cow's). It contains many vitamins and nutrients, including B12, which is necessary for hematopoiesis and regulation of metabolic processes. It also contains various vitamins A, B, C, D, E, H, PP. Goat's milk helps get rid of vitamin deficiency. It generally has a beneficial effect on the human body, nervous and vascular systems, and bone tissue.

Goat's milk is best for a baby as a substitute for human milk.

By regularly consuming this product, you can recover from a number of diseases, including colitis, eczema, migraines, and osteoporosis. These and other benefits of goat milk can and should be used when promoting the product.

How to make money on goat milk?

There are only one or two pedigree goat farms in Belarus. This is a risky business on an industrial scale, since the animals are low-productive and, at the limit, produce 3–5 kilograms of milk every day. But you can’t call it unclaimed either. In winter, when milk yields drop sharply, there is a shortage in the market, and buyers are willing to pay a lot of money for a product that has medicinal properties and travel for it, regardless of the distance. That is why, including the raising of small ruminants on clean lands in small villages, this is a niche market for eco-products and the message of the Law “On the Production and Circulation of Organic Products,” Alexander Lukashenko instructed to develop an effective implementation mechanism in his recent Address to the Belarusian people and the National Assembly, writes sb.by.

Home-baked bread or sausages from your own backyard are still rare in stores, but even in this still relatively free market there is already competition. So baby food manufacturers with their own raw materials area offer various mixtures based on natural goat milk. It is difficult for small enterprises with a similar specialization. And the growing trend of healthy lifestyle is unsteady in this case. In addition, goat milk is not an essential product; you won’t see it in every family. According to FAO, its share of consumption in the world is 2.4, in Europe - 3.2 percent of total milk consumption. Oddly enough, America almost forgot about him. As for Belarus, this is 0.0181 percent, 135 times less than the global level. One ten thousandth more in Russia - 0.0182 percent. But, since there is a trend of interest in neighboring countries, the demand for goat milk may soon increase in our country. Belarusians and Russians abroad try both it and its processed products, bringing the culture of consumption to our region. Although not everything is simple with raw materials. Last year, enterprises sent 520 tons of goat milk for processing. Tears. But here the question is purely technological; this does not mean that there is not enough milk. Goat meat requires the purchase of appropriate equipment and specific processing technology. And with the current high-tech capacities, enterprises are set up for a large flow of high-margin cow's milk. Such supplies are not profitable for the manufacturer himself. The purchase price for one of the farms in the Dzerzhinsky district last year was 1.2–1.5 rubles, depending on quality, with a minimum profitability of 2 percent. Is it possible to sell it at a higher price? What should the surplus be done with if it is a perishable product? Don't throw away what's sour. The solution I see here is this: to produce a product with added value, namely cheese. You can’t call it traditional on the table. But if you “hide” milk in it in the summer, this will smooth out fluctuations in the seasonality of sales. There are 65 thousand goats on private farms in Belarus. There are much more dairy cows - 1.4 million. Therefore, the shaft from the first is relatively small. Not only peasant farms, but also the self-employed in the economy can handle processing. You just need to approach it seriously and in a businesslike manner, and take advantage of the considerable preferences that already exist. You don’t even have to pay tax on the sale of agricultural products, you just need to get a certificate from the village council about the presence of a plot and a farm in it. Also, to get started, and without this now there is no way, you will need to invest a certain amount in livestock.

Basic costs of starting a business

Let's assume that we want to open a small goat farm for 50 heads. For its opening and further operation, sufficient initial capital will be required. The main expense items are shown in the table below.

Table 1. Basic costs of opening a goat farm

Prices are taken based on studying the offer on the global network.

The amount of food costs may vary depending on how much product the farmer wants to receive. The productivity of goats depends directly on what they eat.

The country processes less than 20% of the total goat milk yield Pixabay According to the National Union), the market for the production of goat milk products has recently shown very good development dynamics.
And the increase in consumption, especially of whole milk products in this segment, amounts to tens of percent per year. “The introduction of counter-sanctions has led to a reduction in imports of goat milk products, and primarily cheese, by almost 10 times,” Artem Belov, executive director of the organization, told Agroinvestor. “This created certain opportunities for the development of production within the country.” Although, according to Soyuzmoloko, the share of processing of raw goat milk produced in the country remains low - about 40 thousand tons per year, which does not exceed 20% of production volume. The expert is confident that the development of processing is the main opportunity for further growth of the industry. Belov estimates the capacity of the goat milk market at approximately 3 billion rubles. Of these, about a third is the baby food segment. Now this entire market is 100% imported, he emphasizes.

According to Rosstat, the total goat herd in Russia is about 2.1 million heads. At the same time, in 2020, only about 175 thousand animals were kept in agricultural organizations and 316 thousand in peasant farms. The country produces 243 thousand tons of goat milk, or 312 kg per goat per year, estimates the All-Russian Research Institute of Sheep and Goat Breeding. According to the head of the institute’s laboratory, Svetlana Novopashina, the largest farms now are “Lukoz” in Mari El and “Lukoz Saba” in Tatarstan by Vladimir and Taras Kozhanov. The total number of enterprises already exceeds 7.5 thousand goats. According to the entrepreneurs’ plan, by 2020 their production should become the largest not only in Russia, but also in Europe: another farm for 10 thousand animals will be built in Mari El (investment - 600 million rubles). Included. Investors expect to begin construction of a baby food production plant in Yoshkar-Ola soon. In the future, the company plans to become “a fairly large player,” says Taras Kozhanov. The company's revenue should reach 5-7 billion rubles.

According to the manager of the “Solutions for goats and sheep” category at DeLaval, Simeon Krivuli, goat farming, along with sheep farming, is now certainly an interesting industry for investors for several reasons. Firstly, cow's milk has somewhat lost its reputation in Russia, and its quality is causing more and more doubts among consumers who can afford to buy a premium product. Secondly, goat and sheep milk is a unique product in terms of its content of microelements and minerals. It is better absorbed and is especially recommended for children. Another reason has to do with the economics of this area. “The shelves of supermarkets and farm stores are not full of goat and sheep milk products,” says Krivulya. “Accordingly, the price is now interesting - around 70 rubles/l if you hand over the raw materials for processing, and up to 100-150 rubles/l if you process it yourself.”

Land lease

It is necessary to erect a complex of structures to house animals and support production processes. As a basis for a future farm, you can use abandoned farms, of which there are many left since the collapse of the USSR and the crisis of the 1990s. However, in our plan, the building will be built from scratch.

To begin with, you should rent 0.5-0.7 hectares of land outside the city. It is important to choose a site suitable for construction, close to transport routes.

Part of the land will be occupied by the farm itself: a goat shed, warehouses, utility rooms, production rooms with equipment. Most of the land will be needed for walking the herd (pasture). Goats need walks in the fresh air for health and better milk yield.

"Chevre" is almost invisible

This was discussed at the V International Conference “From goat to cheese - it’s easy!” that took place last week in Stavropol. Representatives of 20 Russian regions, as well as France, Spain, China, India, Greece, Sweden and other countries took part in discussions on the problems of industry development.

According to experts, in the Stavropol region, about 70 percent of goat milk is produced by farmers who do not have lines for processing it. And in order to saturate the market with products made from goat milk, it is necessary to increase the share of industrial farms that have the opportunity to make serious investments in this area. This refers to both the construction of an enterprise and the purchase of breeding animals.

“In all previous years in our country, since Soviet times, the emphasis was on traditional animal husbandry and the production of cow’s milk,” says Alexey Korenev, an analyst at the Moscow group. “But time passed, and in Russia there was a demand for goat milk and cheese because of their high taste and undoubted benefits. In Russian agriculture, goat breeding is an almost empty niche, although highly profitable. In addition, goats require significantly less maintenance than cows. And, although goat milk and cheese made from it are expensive, they find their consumers.

Around the world, goat cheese - both soft and hard varieties - is often called "chevre" ("goat" in French chеvre). It is in great demand in many countries. The conference participants in the capital of the region were unanimous: this very tasty product will soon become very popular here too. Although today it is quite difficult to find goat milk or cheese on the shelf of a regular supermarket in any large city in the North Caucasus: according to retailers, they still make up no more than one percent of all dairy products.

At the same time, the market potential is huge - goat milk is healthy, and the popularity of a healthy lifestyle is growing rapidly. In addition, a considerable number of people are allergic to cow's milk and lactose intolerant. They are becoming the main consumers of dietary products throughout the world.

Finding goat milk or cheese on a supermarket shelf is difficult: they make up no more than one percent of all dairy products

— The market for goat milk products in Russia reached a billion rubles in 2020. And if demand increases by an average of five percent per year, then in the next five years the growth will be 6.5 percent per year,” noted Alexander Zharekhin, head of the analytical department of Streda Consulting, in his speech at the forum.

This means that entrepreneurs who are able, as they say, to catch this trend will not lose out. And such examples already exist.

In 2020, in the Shpakovsky district of the Stavropol Territory, one of the largest dairy farms for 2,500 goats was opened in the entire North Caucasian Federal District. A plant was also built here where it will be possible to process two thousand tons of milk per year. This will allow us to produce about 200 tons of cheese under our own brand. According to the head of the farm, Alexey Semenov, about half a billion rubles were invested in the project. Within five years, investors plan to recoup the costs.

— We will produce four types of cheese, more than a dozen items. We have already registered our brand. We plan to sell our products in the region and, most likely, in the Moscow region. Preliminary negotiations with retail chains have already been held,” Semenov noted.

“We plan to implement seven goat milk production projects over the course of several years,” added Vladimir Sitnikov, Minister of Agriculture of the Stavropol Territory.

At the forum, entrepreneurs asked the authorities to pay attention to another aspect of their business - the truly draconian regulations that currently exist regarding goat breeding.

— When we imported cattle, everything was fine on paper. But soon Rosselkhoznadzor sent a list of activities on five sheets, and all the deadlines were violated. It started with the supply of goats, which led to everything else. As a result, a lot of money was lost simply due to the preparation of basically useless papers and other bureaucracy. And, if today the legislation on the import of livestock is not made more modern, all our colleagues will have to constantly face similar problems,” said Kazbek Gyulmagomedov, director of Agricultural Construction and Technologies LLC.

Direct speech

Artem Belov, executive director of the National Union):

— Certain segments of this market will show particularly good profitability (for example, baby food made from goat milk, which our country now completely imports, and this is half the market). The second half consists of whole milk products and cheeses, mainly domestically produced. According to the expert, the industry has good export potential to the CIS countries and Asia (including China).

From the history

In 1900, goat milk was officially recognized by the Paris Academy of Medical Sciences as a highly dietary product and recommended for the nutrition of people with poor health. It is now known that this milk promotes the growth of immunity against infectious diseases due to its high content of linoleic and linolenic unsaturated fatty acids. Goat milk also copes well with intestinal upset and increased acidity of digestive juice. It helps with calcium deficiency or disorders of its absorption, reduces the risk of developing rickets in infants and osteoporosis in the elderly, and facilitates the recovery process after injuries. A large amount of vitamin B12 normalizes metabolism and hematopoiesis. Goat milk is often used as the basis of infant formula.

By the way

In European countries, the main product made from goat's milk is cheese. For example, in France, up to 90 percent of the milk produced goes to it. In Holland, a significant part of the goat milk produced and imported is processed into hypoallergenic infant formula. For Europe, Romania works like a goat farm - it produces 230 thousand tons of goat milk, but practically nothing is made from it, but is sent for processing to other EU countries.

The buildings

1. A goat barn is an insulated, well-ventilated room for keeping goats. For 1 adult animal you need 2 sq. m area. That is, 100-125 sq. m will be occupied directly by the paddocks. There should also be space for newborn kids (young animals) and males (kept separately).
2. A milking parlor in which livestock will be milked using special equipment. You can save money by installing a milking machine directly in the goat barn.
3. Rooms for processing: filtration, cooling and pasteurization of milk, its packaging. The appropriate equipment is installed here.
4. A room for refrigeration equipment where products will be stored until they are sold or transported for sale.
5. Warehouse for storing feed, hay, containers.
6. Rooms for rest and storage of staff belongings. This also includes rooms where employees will change into work clothes, showers and toilets.

Equipment

Goat breeding as a business will require the purchase of special equipment for storing, processing, preparing, and packaging the product. Purchasing equipment is one of the main expenses when organizing a business.

The technical room must be equipped with all necessary equipment, including pumps, filters, tables, and an air conditioning system. Modular dairy plants are sold on the Russian market - economic complexes prepared for operation. Often, purchasing a ready-made dairy plant is the best option for an entrepreneur. Moreover, if the manufacturer-seller independently carries out installation and commissioning.

Breeding and feeding

Goats should be kept in rooms with good lighting during the day, at a temperature not lower than 8°C. The inside should be clean, without drafts. Animals need to be walked regularly. It is recommended to fence the pasture with a fence (goats are very curious and can run away).

1. Animals should eat only high-quality feed. Their health and the quality of the final product - that is, milk - depend on this. They use succulent, roughage and concentrated feeds and compound feeds. For the winter, it is recommended to stock up on fresh green feed and hay. Water should be given clean, warm, twice a day.
2. It is optimal to bring goats for mating in the fall. Then by next year the young animals will grow up and be able to go out to graze. This will allow the kids to get stronger and grow faster. 1 breeder goat can inseminate 20-25 goats, but he should not be their relative - in this case, weak individuals will be born.

Staff

Maintenance of a mini-farm of 50 animals does not require a lot of staff. A staff of 5 people will be able to monitor the animals, cleanliness, and operate the equipment. Their tasks include feeding and all animal care work, maintenance of equipment, maintaining cleanliness in the goat barn and other farm premises, preparing products for delivery and, if a driver is available, logistics.

No specialized education is required to operate the machines. It is enough to take a course in equipment management.

Creating a goat farm in the countryside provides another advantage: you can hire workers from local residents, and wages in the provinces are lower than in the city. Due to this, costs can be reduced.

Preparatory work

After drawing up a business plan, the beginning farmer must decide whether he can build the necessary animal housing facilities or whether it is better to rent existing buildings.

If a farmer has decided to build a new complex, it is recommended to use ready-made design developments. A standard design of a mini-farm for goats, developed in accordance with approved state building codes, allows you to rationally place buildings on the site allocated for development and select the necessary equipment.

The plan indicates the location of utility lines and connection points to existing electrical networks and water pipelines.

Material selection

To build a mini-farm, preference should be given to natural building materials:

• metal
• tree
• concrete
• brick.

The use of plastic products and plastic materials is not recommended, as they can negatively affect the quality of milk.

The most optimal building material for building a mini-farm is considered to be lightweight metal thin-walled structures of LSTK. The building, built using quick assembly technology, reliably protects the livestock from dampness and drafts. It is easy to maintain cleanliness in rooms made of LSTK and LMK; the surface of the walls does not absorb foreign odors.

An important aspect is the possibility of expanding the structure in a matter of days. Thus, with an increase in the number of animals, a small goat shed made of LSTK can easily be transformed into a goat farm for 50 heads.

Truss dimensions

The calculation of the required area of ​​a mini-livestock farm is made according to the approved indicators of the maximum permissible standard sizes for comfortable keeping per individual:

• For a dairy goat - at least 1.2 m2.
• For one goat-producer – from 2 m2.
• Kids up to 1 year old - from 0.6 m2.
• Young animals from 1 to 1.5 years old, the minimum norm is 0.9 m2.

The need to create separate pens for housing goats and breeding goats significantly affects the calculation of the area of ​​​​the goat shed.

Selecting a location

Before starting to draw up a project for the construction of a goat farm, it is recommended to wisely select the site for development.

Among the main criteria for choosing a location are:

• Groundwater level. This indicator is of great importance in determining the lower elevation of the load-bearing structures of the foundation foundation.
• Possibility of laying water and electrical networks.
• Availability of free space for storing building materials and equipment.
• Conditions for organizing a manure removal system.
• The absence of polluted water bodies, garbage dumps and cattle burial grounds in the immediate vicinity.
• Availability of nearby pastures for grazing animals.

Correct selection of a site for construction in advance provides a full range of conditions for the long-term operation of the constructed building and comfortable living of the livestock.

Payback calculation

Let's evaluate the profitability of goat breeding as a business.

1. The initial costs, according to calculations, will be 3.45 million rubles.
2. One goat can produce an average of 5-8 liters of milk per day. Let's take this value to be 7 liters - which means that from 50 goats per day we get 350 liters, per month - 10.5 tons of product.
3. The selling price for a liter of goat milk is 100 rubles. It turns out that milk can be sold for 1 million rubles (approximately) per month.
4. The cost of 1 liter of product is approximately 35-40 rubles. There are 60 rubles left. net profit. This is about 600 rubles. per month.

Even if you sell milk for 80 rubles, thereby attracting buyers with a favorable price, about 400 thousand rubles will remain. Taking this into account, the farm will pay for itself in about 9 months.

Selling all products is unlikely under current market conditions. But if half of the milk produced is sold, the business will reach self-sufficiency in 1.5-2 years.

They want to increase the production of marketable goat milk in Russia

The Russian goat milk market collapsed sharply after the introduction of a food embargo - import supplies of products from this raw material decreased by almost 40 times. Finding goat's milk or cheese on a supermarket shelf is now difficult. They make up no more than one percent of all dairy products. At the same time, the market potential is huge - goat milk is healthy, and the popularity of a healthy lifestyle is growing rapidly. However, farmers are in no hurry to occupy the vacated niche, including producing high-quality varieties of goat cheese. Experts say the main reason for this situation is the lack of modern technologies on many farms and enterprises. According to experts, the industry has good export potential to the CIS countries and Asia (China, Japan).

According to Streda Consulting experts, about 256,000 tons of goat milk are produced in Russia per year. According to Rosstat, the goat population in the country is about 2.05 million.

According to experts in Russian agriculture, goat breeding is an almost empty niche, although highly profitable. In addition, goats require significantly less maintenance costs than cows, and goat milk and cheese made from it are expensive (on average it costs from 2.5 thousand rubles per kg). In Europe, for every 100 liters of milk produced, there is 1 liter of goat milk. In Russia, this ratio is approximately 1 to 20 thousand liters. The prospects are huge. According to their data, the market for goat milk products in Russia in 2020 reached a billion rubles. And if demand increases by an average of five percent per year, then in the next five years the growth will be 6.5 percent per year. The development of goat farming in the Russian Federation should lead to a reduction in the cost of milk production on large farms. Accordingly, prices on store shelves will decrease.

The number of goats in the Moscow region will increase by 50-60 thousand animals by 2025, Andrei Razin, the region's Minister of Agriculture and Food, told Interfax.

“We expect to create an additional 50-60 thousand head of goats in the region over the next four to five years through new investment projects,” Razin said at a press lunch in Moscow.

According to the minister, this will double the volume of commercial goat milk production in the Moscow region. Now goats are mainly kept on private farms in the Moscow region, Razin noted.

In 2020, in the Shpakovsky district of the Stavropol Territory, one of the largest dairy farms for 2,500 goats was opened in the entire North Caucasus Federal District. A plant was also built here where it will be possible to process two thousand tons of milk per year. This will allow the company to produce about 200 tons of cheese under its own brand. According to the head of the farm, Alexey Semenov, about half a billion rubles were invested in the project. Within five years, investors plan to recoup the costs. The first goat farm was created in the Kirov region. Once it reaches full capacity, it will become the largest in Russia, reports the press service of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Kirov Region.

“Deputy Chairman of the regional government, Minister of Agriculture and Food Alexey Kotlyachkov visited the only goat breeding farm in the Kirov region in the Kumensky district. Today, almost 1,000 head of small ruminants live here. By the end of 2022, it is planned to increase the livestock to 2,300 heads of milking herd with a gross milk production of 7 tons per day,” the press service said in a statement.

As reported, the Krasnoye Znamya agricultural production company will import another 100 goats and 10 breeding goats from Austria in November of this year. In the next 10 years, the farm plans to bring Russian goat selection to the world level.

“The farm breeds a Swiss breed of goats, the Saanen. The first batch of 140 goats was imported from the Leningrad region in April 2017, 200 breeding goats in 2020, and more than 400 this year. According to the management, when the agricultural enterprise reaches its full design capacity, it will become the largest goat farm in Russia,” reports the press service of the regional Ministry of Agriculture.

It is also planned to develop the goat milk consumption market in Buryatia, reports the press service of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Buryatia.

“The development of goat breeding in the republic has many-sided applications: milk, fluff and meat. We have farmers who now keep Saanen goats. It is only necessary to find directions for development,” says the chairman of the committee for the development of rural areas and investments of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Buryatia.

Now the majority of goat breeders in the republic have a great interest in government support measures, conditions for importing animals from other regions, and animal reproduction. To begin to develop the goat milk market for beginning goat farmers, there is a “Beginner Farmer” program, where a participant can receive up to 3 million rubles from the state for the development of their farm.

The first batch of breeding goats from the Netherlands was brought to Adygea, the KazakhZerno.kz agency was informed by the Ministry of Agriculture of Adygea. As part of a project to develop dairy goat farming in Adygea, the investor purchased more than a thousand head of young breeding goats from the Netherlands.

Goats of the Saannen breed, which has one of the highest milk productivity in the world, were purchased to launch the first stage of the dairy goat breeding cluster by the end of the year. According to the General Director of Agroholding Mirny, Elena Gangalo, one dairy farm will be launched in 2019, and three more in 2020. In total, by 2023 there will be 12 dairy complexes (DCM) for 24 thousand heads of dairy herd.

Investments in the cluster were estimated at more than 9 billion rubles, in the first MTK - more than 800 million rubles. The payback period for a typical goat farm for 2 thousand heads is about 8 years.

Let us note that in Russia there is not a single plant producing powdered baby food from goat milk. This is the only product that replaces mother's milk and is 100% hypoallergenic.

The research institute, together with the Russian Ministry of Agriculture, decided to open a plant in the Chechen Republic and develop goat breeding. Goat meat also has unique properties and is very healthy - it is the only meat that contains a record low amount of cholesterol.

Goat's milk contains 6 times more cobalt, vitamins A, B2, C, unlike cow's milk. In 1900, goat milk was officially recognized by the Paris Academy of Medical Sciences as a highly dietary product and recommended for the nutrition of people with poor health. It is now known that this milk promotes the growth of immunity against infectious diseases due to its high content of linoleic and linolenic unsaturated fatty acids. It is also known that when there is a lack of meat consumption, people drink goat milk in large quantities due to its protein, phosphorus, and calcium content. Goat's milk is perfectly digestible, putting virtually no strain on the liver. The alkaline reaction of goat's milk allows it to be successfully consumed with increased acidity of gastric juice (cow's milk has a slightly acidic reaction).

Goats are domestic animals that are relatively inexpensive to keep. They do not require large preliminary investments in premises or equipment. And they're hardy: goats are much more likely to survive long-term droughts than, say, grain crops. They can even be fed with unripe crops.

In European countries, the main product made from goat's milk is cheese. For example, in France, up to 90 percent of the milk produced goes to it. In Holland, a significant part of the goat milk produced and imported is processed into hypoallergenic infant formula. For Europe, Romania works like a goat farm - it produces 230 thousand tons of goat milk, but practically nothing is made from it, but is sent for processing to other EU countries. It should be noted that the average productivity of Saanen goats (one of the most dairy breeds) in Switzerland and Germany reaches up to 1200 liters of milk during 9-10 months of lactation.

Promotion

When organizing sales, marketing will have to pay special attention due to the lack of mass love among the population for goat milk and ignorance of its benefits. The consumer is not used to this product, because it is practically not on sale.

The first step is to choose the right price. Goat's milk is more expensive than cow's milk, but this difference should be minimized.

The following promotional activities can be carried out:

• access to retail chains and organization of tastings in stores for everyone;
• together with stores, organize promotions for certain groups of the population (mothers with children, pensioners)
• distribution of leaflets, POS materials describing the benefits of goat milk.

The emphasis should be on the benefits of consuming goat milk. It is useful to place advertisements in newspapers, the media and conduct sales yourself - selling homemade milk through a barrel on wheels in residential areas of populated areas.

Demand will grow along with sales volumes. Over time, regular customers will appear.

Goat milk market in Russia: status and prospects

Starting from 2020, according to the agricultural development program, farmers will receive subsidies for delivering not only cow’s milk, but also goat’s milk.

Part of the funds for compensation will be allocated by the federal budget, the remaining funds will have to be allocated by the regions. However, until 2015, there were no official statistics on the goat milk market in the country, and the Ministry of Agriculture counted the number of goats and sheep together (the total number of goats and sheep in the Russian Federation as of January 1, 2014 was 23.9 million heads, according to the ministry).

The difficulties are primarily due to the fact that this business is concentrated mainly in individual farms (90%) and is not always quantifiable. Goat milk consumption in Russia is also extremely low - there are no similar traditions. In Holland, for example, there are 20 liters of goat milk per person per year, but here we are talking about grams. There are approximately 100 goat farms in Russia; not all of them are successful, and the number of goats varies from 50 goats to three thousand. The total number of goats in the Russian Federation is about 2 million, according to Soyuzmoloko. Meanwhile, Western analysts note that in the world goat farming is developed mainly in poor countries, since it does not require large expenses at the start and at the same time makes it possible to obtain relatively inexpensive animal proteins from goat milk and cheese. Goats can show high productivity even in the most unfavorable climatic conditions. In addition, they have a flatter lactation curve with two lactation peaks. This type of dairy farming is developed in Asia (the leaders are India and Pakistan) and North Africa, the Middle East and traditionally in the Mediterranean (Greece, Turkey). China is also increasing its goat milk production.

In Russia, one third of the total livestock is made up of dairy breeds (Saannenskaya), downy breeds (Gorno-Altai, Orenburg, Pridonskaya) and the rest are wool and coarse-haired breeds (Dagestan and Soviet). The largest number of goats are bred in the Republics of Tyva, Dagestan, Tatarstan and Bashkortostan, Volgograd, Orenburg and Rostov regions, and in the Altai Territory. Agricultural organizations produced approximately 5.9 thousand tons of goat milk in 2014.

Russia remains one of the few countries in the world where there is not a single meat goat breed. At the same time, according to statistics, in Russia there are about 1 million goats bred for goat meat. These are mainly outbred animals of wool and coarse-haired breeds.

There is no high-quality goat “gene pool” in Russia. The breeding base of the industry is very weak and is currently represented by only three pedigree reproducers for breeding goats of the Saanen breed: Lukoz LLC (Mari El), Prinevskoye CJSC (Leningrad Region), Peasant Farm Rus-1 (Stavropol Territory) and one gene pool farm of the State Scientific Institution SNIIZhK (Stavropol) with a total population of no more than 3 thousand heads. Therefore, goat farmers are forced to bring animals from Europe and New Zealand.

True, this year the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation approved for use a new breed of dairy goat, the Alpine. The expert commission under the department recommended the new breed for inclusion in the State Register of Breeding Achievements. When breeding this breed, French and Swiss goat breeds were used. Alpine goat milk is well suited for the production of cheeses, cottage cheese, butter, yogurt and other dairy products. The new breed is distinguished by its unpretentiousness in maintenance and nutrition, as well as its ability to quickly acclimatize. Alpine goats tolerate cold winters well thanks to their down. In addition, they are resistant to various diseases.

Another problem that exists in Russian goat breeding is the lack of high-quality feed, artificial insemination, as well as the high proportion of manual labor on farms. All this leads to the high cost of goat milk (more than 40 rubles per liter). However, with the beginning of subsidies for this production, small farms specializing in the production of goat milk and cheese began to emerge in many regions. Large dairy enterprises are not yet interested in goat milk. The volume of the goat milk market in Russia is now no more than 400 million rubles per year. But the prospects for the market are not bad: if consumption is at least one liter per year per person, then this is already more than 140 thousand tons per year. that is, the market can grow more than 20 times.

Source: Milknews