Ukrainian livestock farming is undergoing profound changes. Despite the growth of the industrial sector, the industry faces a number of systemic challenges — from a shortage of raw milk to excessive use of antibiotics and low efficiency of raising young animals. One of the promising areas for increasing productivity and feeding safety is biotechnological feed solutions, in particular postbiotics.
According to the State Statistics Service and the Milk Producers Association, in 2025 the total production of raw milk in Ukraine continued to decline, in particular due to the reduction of small farms. At the same time, the industrial sector is demonstrating steady growth, but the positive dynamics are underpinned by deeper structural problems.
Among the key challenges of the industry are low herd productivity, a shortage of high-quality raw milk, and the use of antibiotics as a tool to compensate for deficiencies in feeding and management. In the context of the European course to limit antibiotics in livestock, this becomes not only a technological but also a market challenge.
Enzym Group notes that one of the most underestimated risk areas in cattle is the early period of calf development. It is in the first months of life that the digestive system, immunity and intestinal microbiota are formed, which in the future determines the productivity of the animal.
“The early age of calves often remains the least standardized stage in most farms. At the same time, it is it that determines the future efficiency of the herd,” explains Iryna Matyukha.
In response to these challenges, Enzym Feed Solutions — the feed solutions division of Enzym Group — is exploring biotechnological approaches to supporting the health and growth of young animals. One of the focuses is postbiotics and functional yeast products.
Postbiotics are biologically active products of microbial metabolism that do not contain living cells, but retain functional activity. Compared to probiotics, they have higher stability, do not pose risks of colonization of microorganisms and are considered safer to use.
Functional solutions of yeast origin include inactivated yeast, yeast extracts, autolysates, hydrolysates and cell wall fractions. They contain β-glucans, mannan-oligosaccharides, peptides, nucleotides and B vitamins that support immunity, intestinal health and the efficiency of nutrient absorption.
The Enzym Group R&D team conducted a study on the effect of yeast postbiotics in the diets of calves in the first months of life. The results showed positive dynamics in several key indicators.
In particular, the use of yeast extract in the drinking water of calves from birth to two months provided an increase in average daily gains by 12.1%. Adding a postbiotic based on inactivated yeast for a period of two to four months gave an even higher result - a 30.3% increase in gain.
The study also recorded an improvement in the feed conversion ratio: the FCR indicator decreased by 9.2%, which means less feed consumption per kilogram of gain.
Enzym Feed Solutions pays special attention to the impact of postbiotics on the health of young animals. During the first 60 days of use, no cases of gastrointestinal diseases were detected, and the survival rate of the livestock reached 100%.
In addition, the live weight of calves receiving the postbiotic was 5.95% or approximately 4.76 kg higher compared to animals on a standard diet.
Enzym Group notes that the results obtained confirm the potential of postbiotics as functional feed additives for cattle and can become the basis for a more systematic and safe approach to raising young animals.
At the same time, the company emphasizes that the implementation of such solutions on an industrial scale requires further research and testing in various production conditions.
“Biotechnological feed additives can become a new strategic tool for increasing the efficiency of livestock farming and an alternative to outdated approaches in feeding,” concludes Enzym Feed Solutions.
