"The last tractor will be taken by the bank." How a farmer built a unique business, but will lose everything after 30 years
This business originated in the nineties in Dzyarzhynsk district literally in an empty field — without millions, fueled by enthusiasm and great faith in goat's milk. And then Belarusians gradually tasted the new product and everything made from goat's milk: cheeses, cottage cheese, yogurt. Thus, the country's largest goat farm "DAK" was created — a cool local brand, with a popular corn maze as a bonus. Today, equipment is stopped, property is seized, the company has filed for liquidation, and Dzmitry Krylov sums up the sad result of his farming: "I invested for 30 years — and owe everyone." The story is told by Onliner.
"Just a year ago, we were making money"
In the very beginning, there was no electricity or roads here — only dreams of a farm that could feed a family.
Former electronics engineer Dzmitry exchanged computers for access to land. He didn't know exactly what or how to grow then, but started with vegetables and buckwheat.
Then there was a short period when the family got into pig farming — and it practically ruined them when import duties were lifted, and they had to compete with Polish pork.
But they didn't want to just abandon the land and home. And then the idea of goat's milk appeared: the state wasn't entering this niche, so the Krylov family risked everything they had left and began buying local goats from people. After some time, they realized this was wrong, so they bought a hundred "proper" (i.e., purebred) Saanen goats from the Baltic countries.
They gradually developed their production — not just milk, but goat cheese and yogurts — a rarity for the Belarusian market, when there wasn't yet such a trend for import substitution. Belarusian factories didn't want to process goat's milk, so Krylov went to Poland and brought back knowledge on how to make cheese.
For almost 20 years, Dzmitry collected information on how the most modern goat farm should operate.
— I didn't just go on vacation; all trips were somehow related to the farm: exhibitions, chambers of commerce and industry, business missions. I traveled around Europe, America, China, various competitions — as a result, the space for stamps ran out before the passport itself expired.
In 2018, the goat farm began a major scaling that divided everything into "before" and "after." According to the plan, the farm was supposed to turn into a large modern dairy complex for 1600 goats with new types of products for the country. For comparison: before the start of the project, there were 390 goats, not counting very young animals.
The farm got a new milking parlor, which not only accelerated processes but also read information on each goat, accounted for how much milk it produced, and dispensed the necessary amount of feed. In Europe, similar equipment was offered for €500,000; domestically, they managed to do it for 420,000 rubles.
The new farm project was financed from three sources: 3.5 million was provided by the innovative fund of the Minsk region, another 7 million was promised by the Development Bank, and there were also their own funds. At this stage, the first difficulties began.
— In one month, 2.5 million had to be spent. How is that possible when I'm not a construction trust, but just a small farmer? As a result, we utilized the innovative money in a year, and almost half of the complex was already built.
Meanwhile, the Development Bank revised its plans and allocated 4.5 million instead of the initial sum, meaning some planned facilities had to be abandoned.
The idea of year-round green fodder — a hydroponic installation, the reconstruction of the processing workshop, and the artificial insemination laboratory — did not receive funding.
— All this caused new approvals. The business plan had to be redone, going through expertise again — both environmental and construction. The construction project was divided into stages and launch complexes.
And in parallel, new requirements were added: for example, a backup well, an additional water supply, fire tanks — mandatory points for budget financing.
— Construction dragged on for an extra year and a half, and the herd was growing. In a building designed for 400 goats, there were already 600 adults and another 300 young animals. During construction, we experienced an outbreak of disease — it's not dangerous to humans but shortens a goat's lifespan.
When the infection was detected, the question arose of destroying the entire herd. As a result, changes in approach were achieved: instead of complete destruction, gradual recovery of the animals was allowed.
— We understood that without additional financing, it would be very difficult for us. Therefore, in 2022, we transformed the farm into a limited liability company so that an investor could join.
The difficulties did not end there. In 2023, the farm came under price regulation.
— All dairy products were considered socially significant — not just from cow's milk, but from goat's milk too. Throughout 2022, we deliberately did not raise prices: overall, there was no such need, our economy was more or less stable. In 2023, feed, packaging, logistics became more expensive, wages increased — but we couldn't raise prices.
Later, changes were achieved, and goat products were removed from these restrictions, but by then, the financial situation had significantly worsened.
— By 2024, the enterprise reached 40% of its planned capacity, but there were many young animals being raised, and in the absence of an investor, additional loans had to be taken to get through the break-even period. And then interest rates also rose. The enterprise was already generating operating profit, but it was insufficient.
The farm grew slower than its financial obligations and credit load. We were already earning about 30,000 in profit per month, but paying 60,000 to banks and for leasing. In May 2025, the first cash gap occurred. Spring is always expensive. Staff turnover began, I tried to cope as best I could, cut costs, borrowed money… The banks gave us nothing more.
In August last year, the first credit defaults in 20 years occurred; the main debt to the Development Bank had to be repaid. Problems turned into an avalanche: the APV (Department of Compulsory Execution) blocked accounts, the leasing company took critically needed equipment, feed was not harvested, and staff was cut.
According to Dzmitry, workers had to be found through ads, and he even had to borrow money for salaries.
— For two or three months, we tried to work like this: someone would come, help. But sometimes, in the morning, the farm would "stand still": goats not milked, nothing done, workers gone. We hired a temporary tractor driver; we hadn't even managed to show him anything, and the tractor burned down. It was a disaster.
Due to electricity debts, one of the two transformers at the farm was disconnected. The farm has one last tractor left, and even that will soon be taken by the bank.
— Already in January, we understood that we wouldn't survive 2025 without support. Only by the summer of 2026 were we confidently reaching 900 milking goats, 65% capacity, and self-sufficiency. But for that, we needed to go through another cycle of kid birth and introducing young animals into the milking herd.
We lacked 450,000 to fulfill all obligations. And having lost hope that private investors would get involved, we actively started appealing to state structures. We offered to be merged with a large farm or to buy out a share so that the money would go towards development and we could reach profitability. But agriculture is, in principle, a long, risky business. There were many negotiations, letters, and discussions. But all in vain.
Production ceased. Where there was life, now there are empty shelves and stopped equipment.
"We must thank all the people"
In the autumn, Dzmitry Krylov opened a charitable account and talked about the situation on Instagram.
— I didn't want to talk about problems: I was taught from childhood not to air dirty laundry. But we had to save the goats.
My feelings are tearing me apart somehow. On the one hand, I'm ashamed that I fell into this pit. You understand? If you're an entrepreneur, you should find a way out. And here you fight and fight — and nothing works.
But still... You made the key decisions — you are responsible for the outcome. That's what I was taught. So, I miscalculated somewhere, was unconvincing somewhere.
On the other hand, looking back, it must be noted: we achieved a lot — everything from scratch, in an empty place. The first goat farm in Belarus, the first purebred goat farm, the first producers of goat cheese, the first corn maze, the first carousel milking system for goats of domestic production in the CIS — there is much to be proud of.
There was also positive experience cooperating with the state: the reconstruction of the first farm in 2012 was carried out with a preferential loan, and no delays were ever allowed.
The help of people allowed them to survive the winter, and confidence emerged that at least the animals could still be saved.
— When we opened a charitable account in October 2025 and asked for help, many people responded. They transferred 5 rubles, 15, 50. We collected about 35,000. I would like to personally thank everyone, but it's impossible: only sums arrive in the accounts, without sender details — we don't see who transferred it. Special thanks to several entrepreneurs who found the opportunity to provide substantial support.
In the autumn, two young veterinarians came for practice, helping to care for the animals and administer necessary vaccinations — thanks to this and the help of people, about 700 goats were saved.
The farm's debt is less than 6 million rubles, and the business itself, according to Krylov, could still be saved. But the situation sharply worsened due to the demand to return money to the innovative fund in December — the debt increased by another 3.5 million.
— We wanted to maintain relations with banks and the state, and fulfill all obligations. After all, the book value of fixed assets is more than 9 million rubles. Depreciation is 7%, everything is new. The total balance is almost 11 million. Net assets were 5.4 million. So, we are not poor, this is far from the worst picture. We just lacked 0.45 million in working capital.
Another option was to include the farm in the list of enterprises for financial recovery. In such a case, debts could be frozen, restructured, and the farm given time for development and growth, so that the debt could then be gradually repaid. But this also failed.
However, attempts to initiate rehabilitation continued until the very end, says Dzmitry Krylov. The business could have received a deferment to get out of the debt pit, but ultimately the rehabilitation plan fell through due to the demand to return money from the innovative fund, and the chance for business recovery effectively vanished.
It became clear that it would no longer be possible to get out of this situation on their own: on February 20, the company filed documents for voluntary liquidation, which caused banks to suspend the accrual of interest and penalties, and the APV stopped its pressure. But this means that it is no longer possible to conduct economic activities; the last employees had to be dismissed.
Currently, property is being valued, creditor claims are being collected, and then everything will be put up for auction for an investor to be found. According to the procedure, this should happen in August. If it cannot be sold on the first attempt, there will be a repeat auction with a price reduction.
And Krylov, with a small team of enthusiasts, continues to feed the goats and hopes that an investor will still be found.
Is there demand, but almost no supply?
It would seem that this is a story about the woes of one business. But the circle has closed, and the market has once again returned to a situation where a whole niche is empty.
Over the past 20 years, private individuals interested in goats have appeared in the country, but goat's milk remains a niche product even on a planetary scale. Globally, goat's milk accounts for about 2.4% of the market, in Europe — slightly more than 3%, but interest in it is growing. Earlier, Krylov cited 0.015% for Belarus, but now it is even more difficult to estimate the share.
Moreover, this niche is free not only in our country but also in neighboring countries, Krylov notes: cheeses from his farm were in demand in Russia.
— No wonder goats are so expensive. Today, a young goat for industrial breeding can cost almost $1000 in Russia. This is an indicator: the market is empty. There is very little goat's milk on the market. Yes, there is a large processor "Bellakt," which mainly produces baby food and sterilized milk. But a full range — yogurts, cheeses, ricotta, cottage cheese — is practically non-existent.
We deliberately created an assortment of whole goat's milk at the time. We worked not only for people with cow's milk intolerance but also for those looking for a quality niche product for healthy eating.
At the same time, Dzmitry notes that there are not as many people who do not tolerate cow's milk as is commonly believed.
— Everyone talks about allergies, but if you count, there aren't that many people for whom only goat's milk is suitable. We saw this clearly from the demand. In winter, when milk volumes were seasonally less than 400 liters per day, people who urgently needed it started calling us. And when we supplied larger volumes, we already covered this need in Minsk and the Minsk region.
So we had already reached a different audience — those who love exclusivity, specifically goat cheeses, for healthy eating. This is already a more demanding client.
Now, however, the niche for goat products has effectively become empty again. The main problem is high production requirements. To enter retail chains, a full-fledged workshop and certification are needed. This is expensive and difficult; a personal subsidiary farm cannot handle such a scale.
— Only small farmers and private individuals remain. There are artisans who make good cheeses at home, but these are not industrial scales; you can't enter stores with such products.
What about the corn maze?
Many people know this place thanks to the corn maze that appeared here in 2017. Previously, it was written how it all started: the farmer returned with this idea from the USA, and Onlíner simultaneously told about a student with such a concept. Dzmitry read the material, two enthusiasts met, shook hands, and in the same year sowed the field with corn. This is how the "Kukupolis" agropark appeared.
— For the first two or three years, it didn't bring in much money; not many people came. The road here isn't great, the topic wasn't very well-promoted, and many people were still vacationing abroad then.
Then came COVID, it became harder to get visas — people started looking for vacation spots within the country, and the corn maze developed its own community.
— Last year, we lived for two months on the income from the labyrinth. And we paid a lot of taxes: there it was not 10% VAT, as on products, but 20%. We earned 250 thousand — of which 50 thousand went solely to VAT.
The field for the labyrinth was also prepared this year. It used to operate in conjunction with the goat farm, but it will continue to exist independently on the basis of the farm, along with other infrastructure for tourists and a small petting zoo.
Dzmitry hopes that people will come here again in the summer — if not for milk and cheese, then for walks and excursions.
They plan to attract tourists earlier than the usual season: not waiting until August for the corn maze, but starting already in May, when it gets warmer, with excursions to the beaver dam.
Or you can come to the gazebos with barbecues and relax by the river.
Announcements and activities of "Kukupolis" can be followed on the project's Instagram.
Finale
Dzmitry's house is literally a few steps from the farm. He doesn't plan to move and stays close to the work he dedicated his entire life to. Too much here was built over years to simply leave. At the same time, he says he doesn't like to complain and blames no one for what happened.
— And if this has already happened, no one is particularly to blame. Somewhere you misunderstood, missed something, presented it incorrectly, didn't find the right words. But everything I had, I invested in this project.
The farmer had a reserve of faith in goat products and enthusiasm, but life is harsh and largely materialistic, and business has its price.
— The house wasn't finished, everything was invested in the goats — and even that could be taken away. We were guarantors for the loan, so the APV came and seized everything we had.
What's next? Liquidation is the end for the business. I am nobody here anymore; under liquidation, nothing can be done except preserve what there is. But hope remains that someone will buy and preserve this unique farm for the country.
And Krylov, with a small team of enthusiasts, continues to feed the goats and hopes that an investor will still be found.
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