How to choose the right premix supplier and ensure quality products for poultry: tips from VITAGRO Nutrition Director Sergey Sulima

— Mr. Sergey, tell us about the current situation on the premix market in Ukraine. How saturated is this market, and is there still potential for growth within the country?

— In Ukraine, there are many high-quality and modern factories producing premix products. In the last ten years alone, at least three powerful factories have been put into operation. From my observations, about 90% of the premix market in Ukraine belongs to domestic manufacturers. Approximately 10% of premix products are exported. When it comes to livestock producers, about 90% of these enterprises purchase premix products for their farms. Others have premix production within their company structures. Overall, the premix market in Ukraine is quite promising. It is not yet saturated, so it has potential for further development.

— Is there a significant difference in quality between domestic and imported premixes? Previously, it was believed that domestic products were inferior in quality to imported ones. How do domestic and imported premixes compare in quality today?

— A very important indicator that determines the quality of the product is the technological capability of the manufacturer. Domestic premix production has developed intensively in recent years. Therefore, today our products are in no way inferior to imported ones in terms of quality characteristics. We work with the same modern technologies and equipment as the leading global manufacturers in this industry. All the technological innovations emerging in the global premix production markets are also being implemented in Ukraine.

I want to say that the times when domestic premix production significantly lagged behind imported products in terms of quality have long passed. Our premix manufacturers work with advanced technologies. They, like global giants in this field, have access to the best technologies and raw materials from the best suppliers of amino acids, vitamins, enzymes, etc. All this allows us to be competitive in the global market and produce premixes of very high quality.

The intensive development of laboratories in Ukraine is also a positive factor. If just a few years ago we had 1-2 laboratories that could analyze finished products for the content of certain vitamins, today there are many more. Therefore, it has become much easier and more accessible for every producer of livestock products who purchases premixes to constantly control their quality and be sure that the animals are receiving exactly what was ordered.

— What criteria should a poultry producer consider when selecting a premix supplier for collaboration? How to identify the best supplier among many others?

— When choosing a supplier for any product, it is important to have as much information as possible about the company and its production capabilities. The supplier company should be transparent and provide detailed information about its production, the origin of raw materials, applied technologies, etc. There should be a very high level of biosecurity in production.

Pay attention to the quality control processes for raw materials (starting from the moment of loading) and finished products. It is best if the production facility implements barcode labeling. How raw materials are controlled at the enterprise is a serious indicator of its commitment to product quality. If raw materials are thoroughly checked, all necessary documents are available, independent laboratory tests are conducted, and there are all quality certificates and guarantees from suppliers, then this is more than enough. It is important for a premix manufacturer to have its own experimental base for testing its products. This way, they will better understand the needs of their customers.

Be sure to pay attention to the specialists working in the company. It is very important that they have professional and coordinated work. If the staff is qualified and knows what they are doing, then the results of their work will definitely reflect on the quality of the products they produce.

Check the availability of raw materials for premix production at the plant. Sufficient availability indicates that the enterprise can produce extra formulations as needed. In particular, I would definitely pay attention to the presence of microdosing systems in production. For premix production, this is a very important indicator that speaks to the ability to produce products with a clear composition.

The production should have clear process controllability. By process controllability, I mean production automation. Since minimizing the human factor in production is important for producing quality products. All procedures that the plant operates on should be described, and they should work flawlessly.

Also, every production facility must have appropriate certification.

— Is there a connection between the age of a premix production plant and the quality of the products it produces? In other words, is it better to prefer newly built plants because they implement the most modern technologies and install state-of-the-art equipment?

— Yes, of course, such a connection exists. However, every manufacturer who wants to be competitive and have their share of the market does not stand still — they carry out modernizations, implement new technologies to produce quality products. For example, today it is increasingly common to see companies where homogeneous mixing of components, microdosing, etc., are carried out. Therefore, regardless of how long the company has been operating in the market, it is worth finding out what technologies they use: if they are outdated, accordingly, it will not be able to produce products of the same quality as modern productions.

— Speaking of modern technologies in premix production, what are we primarily talking about?

— Primarily, modern production is highly automated, with minimal human influence. This is production that has microdosing of components from 5 g, high mixing accuracy (98+%), and a range of modern laboratories.

— Is there any falsification of premix products in the domestic market? How often can cases occur when the composition of the received product does not correspond to what the manufacturer claims?

— Counterfeits are less common, but you can still often come across products with an undefined origin. Most often, this is gray import. When buying such products, you have no guarantees regarding its quality, and you also have no influence on its supplier. I always recommend purchasing from a company that provides official guarantees, quality certificates with wet seals. In other words, as I mentioned earlier, collaborate with the most transparent company, which also provides technological support and is responsible for the quality of its products.

— How can farms without their own research laboratories assess the quality of the premix they are buying? Are there external criteria for this?

— This can be done through research conducted in the farm with control and experimental groups. By analyzing the results of these studies, the enterprise can obtain information about the quality of the product it has used. In other words, the animal will best show what quality of product it has consumed. Such research will be very useful for farms. Since each of them has its own characteristics and specifics, accordingly, what works well in one of them may be less useful for another.

Vitagro Nutrition is a reliable manufacturer and supplier of feeding programs for Ukrainian farming.
Our feeding programs for livestock and poultry include products such as premixes for broilers, premixes for pigs, and premixes for cattle (cattle premix).