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This village was one of the first structural units of Shepetivka sugar mill agro department. Their collaboration began in September 2003. Careful Lotivka villagers decided begin partnership only when they saw that Ustyanivka village had overcome poverty and gained high production capacity by strengthening its power with the help of sugar mill.
Now Lotovka is quite another and agro department has grown into a powerful «Svarog West Group» corporation. They complement and enrich each other.
ivan Klyap has been leading Lotovka agricultural formation since 1986. He is hardworking, smart and talented manager. The agricultural formation under his administration used to be one of the best in Shepetivka area. There was always at least one million hryvnia on its bank account. It was possible to buy new equipment, build facilities. Warehouses were full of grain and sugar, barns were full of cattle. There were 800-900 cows at milk producing complex, in general almost fifteen hundred heads of cattle were kept. At least 15-18 thousand hens gave 12 thousand eggs daily, two cycles of 56 thousand chickens each were reared yearly at chicken farm.
But then other times came. The agricultural production turned out to be too cheap. No profit could be gained. Money was «washed out» of the firm. It was impossible to function without revolving fund. So, it seemed that ghost of bankruptcy was already wandering the village. In short, only investors could save the situation.
It is difficult to hit the mark, but peasants did so. Their decision was life-changing. The sugar mill agricultural department started to solve complex problems of rural areas from the early days of managing. They did not renounce to pay firm's debts for several years, and then took up the cultivation of fields and repairs. Soon, four heavy tractors T-150 were equipped with new engines. Farm machinery park got four foreign harvesters. Livestock farms were also saved even though there were only 400 heads of cattle.
The investor took care of production as the basis of welfare. Much has been done to reconstruct the farm, which provides permanent employment for 37 people. Sheds, large warehouses and seed barns were restored, seed assorting engine was purchased.
Corporation was actively involved in social life since the early days, it took part in all social programs of the village, initiating and carrying them out. Also school was helped as a heart of culture. Need a TV or stereo system? Here you are. Need help in solving any pressing issues? No problem. Small Lotovka was not able to gasify the village without the help of "Svarog" because supply pipes cost more than 360 thousand hryvnia. Corporation also refuels school bus to carry children in Orlintsy.
Several years ago a humble agricultural formation became first group seed farm «Lotovka-Elite». At first, it provided seeds for corporation only, and now there are enough seeds to satisfy needs of half of the region. There is no doubt in seed's quality and purity because all stages of production are highly controlled. We already know that the there is a strict dictatorship of advanced technologies in «Svarog». Lotovka seeds are purchased with pleasure by agrarians of Zhitomyr and Poltava regions, the southern region of Ukraine, etc.
Lotovka possesses 1800 hectares of arable land, about half of them being sown with sugar beet. It yields 500 centner per hectare here.
Lotovka became center of the sector, which numbers more than 15 thousand hectares. Four villages of Horodysche, Koskov, Velyka Medvedivka, beside Lotovka and Ustyanovka are included in this array.
Work is easy and difficult at the same time for Ivan Ivanovich. It is difficult because work in agriculture has never been «lazy». From April to December he wheels from dawn to dusk without weekends and holidays. It is easy because there is no need to provide anything or look for resources. Everything is delivered on the first demand. There is no lack of money comparing with other firms. Ivan Ivanovich has a much more pleasant task: to pay more attention to technological efficiency and organization of work.
Ivan Ivanovich can say exactly one thing: he gets great satisfaction from such work. For the first time he has opportunity to work as he imagined.