Annual family company-2017
1. IU “May S” there is a small store IN Maltas. It is directed by Gunta Vasilieva with her husband, Vitalia. The Vasiljevs family, who has two daughters and a granddaughter, returned from Britain a year ago. They now live IN THE parish OF Lūznavas. We worked abroad for 10 years, but Latgale was in heart and soul. In recent years we have been working with the idea that we want to return, so we deserve to be able to enter into business in Latvia. All the surrounding people were pessimistic, but we did, 'says Gunta. There is a wide range of goods in the shop, often the local population, as well as the nearby school pupils who are attracted by the most spiritual ice cream in the world – a real Italian “Gelatto”, not even in Rezekne. The store also includes the production of local producers, including Viļānu cooperatives and dairy products called “Bryunal”.
In response to the Commission's questions, Gunta acknowledges that the idea of enterprise development is much, only time and means. I'd like to arrange a store facade, create an outdoor terrace. There are also ideas related to the development OF Lūznavas manor. In his youth, Gunta danced AT Maltas in a dance collective, even working abroad, Petersboro, a small Latvian dance collective created with her enthusiasm. Now i'd like to dance, run folklore together, but there's no time for it, we need to put it on my feet, then you can do something else. “In any event, we don't complain that we returned to Latvia,” says Gunta and Vitali Vasilievi.
2. Farm “beans” (Stoļerovas parish) owners Valentina and Ivars Arbidans tell the Commission about how the farm has developed from 10 ha of land (and it was even too much then). The owner of the farm, Ivars Arbidan, is a vettist after education, but the housewife Valentine is a zootechnician. Starting with pork, they held around 50 sows. However, as soon as it was possible to apply and receive European Union funding, farmers have realised that dairy farming would be more profitable in the future. The herds are based on a single black cow that had been bought by the breeders for their own resources. Currently there are 49 dairy cows in the holding, but there are 89 livestock units in the herd. As an adjacent sector, there is also crop growing – peas, beans, buckwheat, rye, oats. 250 hectares of agricultural land (both leased and land owned) are treated.
The company has been working as a farm farm from the outset, and it is precisely this type of farming that has enabled it to “survive” in all periods of economic crisis.
The farm, by attracting EU funding, has implemented 19 projects out of 18 in the agricultural sector (all the machinery required for farming – tractors, bare, sowing machine etc.; upgrading of cattle farm, installed dairy) and 1 forestry – afforestation project. The owners clearly recognise that they have managed to develop their holdings mainly due to the availability of EU funding. Also, sons John and Martin succeeded in bringing together the work and creating a desire to work in agriculture. The two sons have already formed their own holdings: John owns THE ZS “bombs” (treated ~ 700 ha), while Martin – ZS “Mārtiņi” (treated ~ 200 ha of land), both are organic farms.
THE ZS “flame” milk is sold to the stock company “Preilu cheese”, but it is now considered whether it would be more useful to start cooperation with THE LPC “Viļāni”.
4 jobs are kept on the farm and additional human resources are added during the season. All employees are local residents, including young people who have seen a real opportunity to work and earn, have chosen to obtain appropriate education and use their knowledge directly in this company.
The family has strong traditions. The housewife Valentin tells them that all the family events are happening, where the children, brothers, sisters, and celebrations are celebrated.
3. Farmers' farm “woodland” (Čornajas parish), owner Inese Higher, told the Commission that he had inherited land and immovable property that had been maintained as a household holding since 1995, but on 22 March 2011, the farm was established on that basis. Since IT has completed Lūznavas sovhoztechnicum and has acquired zootechnic education, its economic activity has been developed in the livestock sector. At first, the farm focused more on pig farming (~ 45 pigs), minimal dairy livestock (3 cows), while the period of restructuring to dairy farming (currently 22 dairy cows) took place. Cereals (mainly rye, triticals, oats) are developed as an additional sector. 2 projects have been implemented: the achievement of standards and the restructuring of semi-natural holdings. In general, the housewife acknowledges that there is more, however, a focus on funding for entrepreneurship, without engaging IN EU projects, but through their own funds or through credit resources. Manure storage has also been created for the own forces.
The technical security of the company consists of farm buildings, including livestock farm, mills, other farm buildings, as well as machinery — grain comb, 3 tractors and all necessary coupling units.
The farm produces around 76 tonnes of milk per year, 70 tonnes are marketed and 4 tonnes for fodder, 2 t for self-consumption. The milk is transferred TO KS “Stoļerova”.
There are 2 children in the family – son and daughter. The son acquired a mechanic education, but his daughter chose a catering service. Both children are already living on their own. The parents hope that a son will be able to take over the farm once.
4. Farm “shields” (Čornajas parish) owner Guntis Khalis presented the evaluation to the Commission with the beginning of the formation of the farm, telling him that it was created during the first Latvian holiday by a grandfather, whose son Ernest later became, and worked for years as Chairman of the kolhoza, but when he retired (1989), “hobia after” took up 30 ha of land, took 1 tractor, recruited 1 worker and began working on his farm. On the other hand, in 2009, Ernest's grandson Guntis, the current owner of the farm who had been working abroad for several years, had returned to farming, but he had returned to Latvia for patriotic feelings and, as he says himself, would not be able to see that his grandfather's farm was eliminated.
Guntis has graduated from Malnava College, obtaining a farmer's education. In implementing the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development project “Support for young farmers”, Guntis completely took over the farm from his grandfather. The areas to be treated increased from 40 ha to 110 ha and currently almost up to ~ 150 ha. By attracting funding for the project programme “modernisation of farm holdings”, ZS “shields” purchased tractors and the necessary agricultural aggregates. GPS navigation is used in farming.
The farm specialises in cereals. 1 worker is employed as permanent employee, but another employee is added during the season.
Since the time of his grandfather's farming, THE ZS “shields” belong to a ¼ of the former kolhoza grain grain, but as the farm owner Guntis says, “the total pig does not feed”, i.e. this resource is not used as a result of its inefficient joint management approach. Guntis says he intends to design and create grain calves for his own forces, which will also be used in the future for the rearing of farmed grain. This idea is based on the fact that, first, Guntim likes to act in the field of metalworking (he tells him that he had asked his grandfather's welding machine as a gift on his 14 th birthday), secondly, the experience of working as an engineer at the cogeneration station in Mezvids.
As regards the attraction of investments for business development, Guntis acknowledges that the current financing conditions and bureaucracy of projects are not attractive to the attraction OF EU funding and therefore prefer to work with their own resources and, if necessary, use credit resources.
The holding is a member of KS “Latraps”, the grain is sold to “Scandagra Latvia”, “Latagra”. In describing the progress of the future development of the farm, the farmer mentions the need to address a number of problems faced by the company at the moment, namely the damage caused by the unefficient grain sorting, the need for grain drying and the need for quality control at each stage of the technological production process.
The family grows a son who currently has only 3 years, but his favorite occupation is with Daddy to ride the tractor and see how the ground handling works are carried out. Guntis is pleased that the boys are tempted by rural works and believe that this interest will remain an important value in the future, which is maintained in the fifth generation.
Guntis KCo has been active IN ZS 32 for several years. Anti-personnel battalion national guardsman – corporal, instructor and commander of the department, as well as working in the municipality of Rezekne as an educational and business advisor.
5. Food company SIA “Annas recipes” (Gaigalavas parish) Owner Anna Balode, along with his spouse, takes up the Commission at the current “headquarters” of his business, a rented two-room apartment in which all orders are carried out – cooking, storage of products and containers. The premises are adapted to THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE PVD but are narrow and slow down development opportunities. The company says that the company was established already in 2011, but since 2013 the premises are leased in 180 m2 (parish house, former library premises) where economic activity will be implemented after repairs and all necessary functions are provided – kitchen, warehouse, banquet hall. Within the framework of the visit, the Commission, together with the owner, also visits those premises and the Commission has the opportunity to assess the work carried out by the (family) forces in order to start farming in the new premises in the next year. Retrospective, almost finished repairs in the kitchen. The work surface, sink, steam collector, but needed a powerful, modern oven. In this context, the senior consultant, Daina Butler, of the establishment “Rural Economic Development in Rēzekne District” recommends that it be possible to use the opportunity to tender for the current project in support of business by submitting a project application.
In response to the Commission's questions, Anna Balode, owner of SIA “Anne recipe”, tells her that she has had a heart and a future plan from childhood. Therefore, appropriate education at Vecbebra sovhoztechnicum cooking tech department has been targeted. The experience has been accumulated since 2004, working as a cheff in restaurants in Vecgulbeles Manor SIA “Horus Centre”, “Green Island”, “bears”. But with time, she realized that she had to create her own business and that it was done.
The company cooperates with the employment agency, providing jobs, including pupils (5 pupils were employed this year). The geographical range of the services provided covers the territory of the city and municipality of Rezekne, as well as the Varakalans and Preiles.
The supply of products (raw materials) shall be co-operated with both local farmers, but mainly in the food trading base IN THE ABSENCE.
