CNFA: Assisted by the Farmer-to-Farmer Program, the “Vita-Lact” cooperative attracts investments

CNFA: Assisted by the Farmer-to-Farmer Program, the “Vita-Lact” cooperative attracts investments

• 20.07.2010

A new milk processing facility was recently launched on the dairy market of Chişinău city, the biggest one of Moldova. The milk collecting cooperative “Vita-Lact” from Ignăţei, Rezina, has initiated processing activities at the beginning of this year and just in a few months managed to conclude pasteurized milk delivery contracts with major commercial units from the Rezina, Şoldăneşti, Orhei districts, and recently from Chişinău city.

Vita-Lact is currently using a directly-in-the-packaging milk pasteurization technology, a technology that is new for Moldova, and which extends twice the product shelf-life compared to the traditional technologies. Furthermore, the cooperative intends to assimilate other advanced dairy processing and packaging procedures. The Vita-Lact representatives have set as an objective to gradually launch the products they’ve got as a result of the raw material processing, in order to build new partnerships, in addition to the existing ones.

By expanding the cooperative activities, the members wish not only to benefit from the added value that comes from processing, but also to contribute to the diversifying of the structure and the product line for dairy products which are produced according to the most advanced technologies. Given the change in technology takes a lot of time in the Republic of Moldova, for it requires substantial investment, the cooperative is also counting on attracting nonrefundable assistance.

Vita-Lact currently owns milk pasteurization, as well as sour cream and butter production equipment, which will also allow it to eventually diversify its product line. The cooperative has decided to process milk in the year 2008, after the delivery price for raw materials has decreased, while the production costs went up. Vita-Lact is the first milk-collecting cooperative from the Republic which has initiated processing activities for its own raw material, and its experience could eventually be replicated by other similar businesses.

The Vita-Lact cooperative was founded in the year 2001 and has been providing its members with different services ever since. These include milk collecting, cooling, and transportation services, veterinarian and pharmaceutical ones, as well as mechanical works. Currently the cooperative has 410 members and is collecting from 0.5 to 10 tons of milk from ten villages of Rezina, Şoldăneşti and Teleneşti districts on a daily basis.

Currently, there are 12 large and medium-sized milk processing businesses operating in the Republic of Moldova.

From the moment it was founded, the Vita-Lact cooperative has been benefiting from highly qualified American consultancy within the Farmer-to-Farmer Program (FtF). Until now, 13 U.S. experts have conducted assignments with the duration of up to three weeks in order to consult this company on technical and financial matters. In order to benefit from the assistance provided by the Farmer-to-Farmer Program, companies and farmers have to prove a strong commitment to achieve superior results, and have clear ideas how to reach them, as well as a proven track record of successful business operation.

In order to learn more about the assistance that is provided with the support of the Farmer-to-Farmer Program, you can access the web page www.cnfa.md or contact us by e-mail at info@moldova.cnfa.org.