The harvesting campaign at OAO "Mileyki" this year ended with results that make even the strictest agricultural experts nod respectfully. About how we managed to gather a decent harvest, why youth is flowing into the farm, and what awaits "Mileyki" tomorrow, we are talking with the director of the agricultural enterprise, Dmitry Pavlovsky.

In the director's office it's business‑like quiet, although Dmitry Ivanovich himself admits that he was only able to truly catch his breath a couple of days ago. When you ask him about the numbers, he doesn't rush to rattle off percentages and tons. For him, every indicator stands for a specific person.

– You know, I'm often asked: what's the secret? Maybe new combines or good weather? – smiles Dmitry Ivanovich. – Of course, technology is important, and we hope the heavenly bureaucracy won't let us down. But honestly: the result is the consequence of discipline and that very proprietorial attitude. This year we bet on strict adherence to technology. Not "as it turns out", but strictly according to schedule: sowing, fertilizing, protection. When each worker at his post understands that his work determines the common loaf, the result follows. Today we are finishing harvesting corn for seed. The yield is not bad – 117 centners per hectare. Rapeseed pleased us this year – 31 centners per hectare. We harvested grain

Yes, the guys came with the desire to work. We have a knowledge base, but they lack experience. At first it was tough: some were getting used to the schedule, others to responsibility. But we are trying to create conditions. Not just housing, although that’s the foundation, but also the attitude. It’s important for a young specialist to feel that he’s not just a cog, but a full‑fledged participant in the process. We give them a chance to show what they can do, we trust them with serious equipment. And when a guy sees that his work is valued, that he’s earning decent money, he no longer thinks about leaving. He thinks about how to plow the field better tomorrow. That’s our main investment," says the director.

But what if we look a little further ahead? How do you see «Милейки» in five years?

Dmitry Ivanovich falls silent, gazing out the window at the fields already being prepared for the next season. Then he says:

"Prospects? We don’t just want to stay afloat. We want to grow. Our plans include modernizing livestock complexes and introducing precision farming. We want our farm to be modern, high‑tech, yet retain its soul. Agriculture isn’t just about profit. It’s about making the people who live here feel confident. It’s about having life in the village, keeping schools open, having young people build homes here. If we can combine modern technology with a strong team where the older generation passes its experience to the younger one, then we’re doing everything right."

As a parting note, Dmitry Ivanovich adds:

"The harvest is the finish of one stage, but the start of the next. In «Милейки» we’re used to not stopping. We keep working!"