Russia is the most important sales channel for VAEX heifers. But will this still be the case in 5 or 10 years' time? VAEX talked to Kristina Satsenko of Noka Agro LLC, with about 15,000 cattle the largest producer of raw milk in the Moscow region.

VAEX and Kristina met at a trade fair in Russia. Meanwhile, Noka Agro LLC has the first Dutch cows on a farm in Moscow via VAEX. The 27-year-old Kristina has been working at Noka Agro LLC since 2016. Kristina was born and grew up as a city girl in Tallinn, Estonia, but from an early age she knew she would be working with animals in the future. In Estonia, there are no large cow farms where she could realise her dream. So after studying in Estonia, she decided to study in Moscow and moved to Russia. She then started working at Noka Agro LLC. As a senior project manager, she is involved in major projects of the company. She started by implementing and monitoring production standards. More and more, she took projects into her own hands. Genetics and livestock breeding were also soon added to her remit. Now she doesn't spend a day in the office anymore. That's what she likes about her job. Every day, she is on the road and every day is a new challenge. She sees taking good care of the animals as one of her main tasks. "The main task of every farmer is to make life better for the animals, to take care of them," says Kristina.


Why Dutch cows?

Dutch cows are sturdy working animals. They fit well in our environment. They always have strong legs, good udder shape and nipple placement. They can easily adapt to our technologies and feed. Compared to cows from other countries, Dutch cows are easier to work with. In our Russian conditions, they show the best results.


Endless possibilities

Russia has a lot of potential. Russia could already be self-sufficient, but there are still ambitious companies wanting to set up new farms. This will always be the case. Russia is huge and the possibilities are almost endless.
That's why Kristina believes that there will always be opportunities for growth. "With Noka Agro LLC we want to be the market leader not only of all of Moscow but of all of Russia. This is a difficult task, but I believe we can handle it".


DID YOU KNOW THAT KRISTINA...

- Is very ambitious and sets herself many goals. Besides her job, she is working on obtaining a Master's degree.
- Doesn't often sit still. In her free time, she enjoys working with graphics programmes or doing odd jobs in her own flat.
- Once took the saying 'Taking the bull by the horns' very literally. When she came face to face with a bull, she jumped at it and grabbed the bull by the horns.