Unmatched – the TOP MIX fodder plant

The TOP MIX fodder plant in the village Kaloyanovo, Sliven region, has no analogue in Bulgaria. The production line, whose trial began in September, increases the productivity of the company while ensuring consistent quality of production. The cycle of production is controlled by a single operator. The processes are more efficient, with lower spending of power and allow for continuous operation – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The project “Expansion, reconstruction and modernization of the fodder factory in the village Kaloyanovo, Sliven municipality” is financed under measure 123 – “Adding value to agricultural and forestry products” of the Program for Rural Development. The plant is owned by TOP MIX Ltd, Sliven region.

The investment project is for over 8.5 million BGN. The value of the project under measure 123 of the program is 7.390 million BGN and the grant – 3.462 million BGN. The co-financing is provided by own funds and a bank credit.

The preparation of the project proposals under the Programme for Rural Development is assigned to the consulting firm CIBOLA. Over the years CIBOLA and TOP MIX have developed long term partnership based on loyalty and trust.

The new production line

The new production line enables comprehensive monitoring, full traceability and control of the production. It has a production life span of at least 15 years. The line is designed to produce food for all animal species, including ruminants and fish, with the exclusion of pets. “The average monthly production in our old base is about 2.500 feed per month. In the future, our new facilities will be able to produce over 5000 - 6000 tons per month”, explains Stefan Kolev, director of TOP MIX. By his opinion, the clarification of the unit prices for feed is difficult, since they range from 500 BGN to 1000 BGN per tone. One of the price determination factors is the season of production, as price is dependent upon the price of grain and other cereals.

At present, TOP MIX employs more than 50 people – administration, experts on site, and people in the logistics and transportation sector. The company also has several trade centers. TOP MIX is producing for the internal market but is now looking for new markets within the EU.  As next steps, the company is looking to upgrade its project management software.

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In the next application for an EU grant, what would you like to avoid and what best practices would you adopt?

Plamen Daskalov, manager of TOP MIX: Many of the setbacks in the application process were related to the way the project had to be submitted to State Fund Agriculture. Small details could have resulted in major problems. In this regard, the consultation we received from CIBOLA was of tremendous help.

Source: www.dnevnik.bg