Astrakhan entrepreneur and ichthyologist Alexander Nevredinov knows how a start-up company can export, where to look for clients and why it is necessary to cut out intermediaries.

Raising frogs Nevredinov started his business in 2000. The business is unusual and, as it turns out, profitable. The main customers are gourmet restaurants and medical research centers. In St. Petersburg, they even make shoes from frog skin. The company immediately went international, exporting frogs to Spain, Germany and even France, a country where frog legs are a national dish.

“KD”: Let’s get straight to the main thing: how difficult is it for small companies to work for export in Russia?

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AN: It's difficult. IN European countries The state very actively supports the export activities of small enterprises. Companies produce goods and supply them to the world market in maximum volumes. For an entrepreneur selling products abroad, the state compensates part of the costs.

Such a system helps companies actively develop in the global market and contributes to the economic development of the country as a whole. In Russia, small exports follow a different path. The Russian company must conclude foreign trade contract, collect a lot of certificates, negotiate with customs authorities, receive money from the customer - and only then can she export the goods. The scheme is complex, not all customers are ready to work according to such rules.

“KD”: Tell us how you decided to export a very unusual product - frogs.

AN: Somehow it happened by itself. I am an ichthyologist and fish farmer by training. My diploma project at the GSMB ANKh was called “Development and introduction of new food products for Russians.” The object of study were frogs. At first, we students ate this delicacy ourselves, then we decided to sell it. This is how the idea arose to create your own frog breeding business, which was unusual for Russian market. I was interested not just in buying and selling, as most entrepreneurs did, but in creating something myself, for example, growing frogs in natural environment.

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We had our own fishing ponds, we put frogs there, and they grew up in familiar conditions. It took me six months to prove that Astrakhan frogs are healthy and delicious product nutrition. Conducted scientific research, resolved organizational issues, the result was new code V Russian system food products - frog legs. Having a scientific base, we received a certificate for their production. So in 2000, the Armada company appeared, the main tasks of which were the implementation of innovations and the promotion of unusual ideas.

“KD”: Growing and selling frogs is a truly unusual business. Especially for the Russian market. How did it happen that your frogs went straight abroad?

AN: To obtain permission to sell food products, we had to open a workshop for processing raw materials. But a beginner small company I couldn't create it myself. Therefore, we entered into an agreement with a large Astrakhan fish processing enterprise that worked for export, and thereby determined our future. We supplied them with raw materials, paid for processing, and received finished products. They offered frog meat to shops and restaurants, but the income was minimal. Too unusual a product, especially for Astrakhan. Therefore, we decided to include our products in the range of our partner enterprise and supply them abroad.

KD: How long have you been collaborating?

AN: Several years. It was the right step. A small company seeking to enter the global market needs to align itself with a large, experienced exporter who can take it under its wing. At the same time, choose a company that successfully operates in the same segment as you and shares your ideas about sales policy. Advertising is also important.

"KD": What marketing tools are needed to promote frogs to the market?

AN: I am against traditional advertising. Television, radio are too expensive for small company, and in our case it is also useless. 99% of consumers are not our customers, it makes no sense to offer them a product: a housewife is unlikely to buy a frog for dinner.

"KD": You supply frogs to Spain and France. Do you cooperate with Russian companies?

AN: In Russia, as a rule, we work with restaurants - our products are unpopular in stores. We successfully cooperate with the Ledovo company, a large importer of goods.

Having assessed the international market and compared the prices offered by other competing manufacturers, we offered Ledovo more favorable terms of cooperation. Low cost, delivery, high quality product, no customs problems.

"KD": What is your competitive advantage? Why does France order frogs from you, and the Ledovo company signs a partnership agreement?

AN: On the world market, only a few countries, such as Australia and Indonesia, are engaged in breeding and supplying amphibians. Frogs are usually raised on special farms in sterile conditions. Astrakhan frogs grow in their natural environment.

The difference is colossal, which has been confirmed by more than one scientific research, - our product is healthier, better quality and tastier. This is the advantage. I would like to note that we supply not only meat: in medicine and cosmetology, for example, frog skin is used.

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I think we also achieved success because we initially occupied a niche that had not been exploited in Russia, and became the best in this matter. Introducing a new product to the market is difficult, but also promising. Most of my projects are innovative. By assessing the market and understanding what goods or services are missing, I know what to offer to society.

"KD": Do you work directly?

AN: Yes, that’s the only way. In general, I think that the manufacturer and consumer should build a business without intermediaries, for example. We search for customers online, evaluate a potential client, if he is interested in our products, we send him to email address commercial offer. In this case, the customer can be both Russian and foreign. We try not to work with stores, nor with wholesale companies. These are all intermediaries. It’s generally difficult with wholesalers. You agree on the supply of 200 kg of meat. They agree. Then problems begin: they didn’t sell, they took another batch, they changed their mind. If you work directly with the customer, such problems do not arise.

“KD”: You have built an entire franchise network, please tell us about it.

AN: Yes, we actively sell the technology for growing and processing frog raw materials not only in Russia, we have partners in the CIS countries, and even in Bashkiria. Entrepreneurs who want to start a frog breeding business purchase breeding stock from us and pay for the development of the project.

We go to the site and conduct research environment and let the frogs go there. It is almost impossible to breed and sell amphibians on your own, without our help. There are too many different authorities to go through, to develop your own technology for growing and processing. It's difficult.

“KD”: Three pieces of advice from Alexander Nevredinov to small exporting companies.

AN: It is difficult for start-up companies to introduce goods to the international market on their own, so you need to find a large and experienced partner, enter into an agreement with him and introduce your products into their range. Free consultation and specific help can be obtained from European information centers; they are available in many cities - Rostov, Tomsk, Yekaterinburg, Moscow, St. Petersburg, about 35 in total.

Determine the circle of consumers. Products must be sold where they are bought. To do this, you need to evaluate the international market, determine what goods or services are missing. I would like to note that a start-up company should move production to a country where labor is cheap and labor productivity is high - this will help significantly reduce costs. For example, we register a patent in Russia, manufacture goods in China, and sell them all over the world.

Work directly with the customer, try to eliminate all intermediaries. This will help avoid many problems. The most effective platform for cooperation is the Internet.

Additional information. In countries Western Europe, Southeast Asia and the American continent, frogs are highly respected and a lot of food is prepared from their legs. delicious dishes. Frog has long been considered a delicacy; the nutritional value of frog meat is comparable to that of oysters and mussels. By the way, frogs are also counted in dozens, like oysters. And there is also an opinion that the frog is an aphrodisiac.

Information about the author and company

"Armada"- research and production company, established in 2000. Engaged in the processing of bio-raw materials (meat and skin of frogs and other inhabitants aquatic environment), introduction of innovative industrial technologies. Provides services in the field of tourism (exotic tours in the Lower Volga region).

Alexander Nevredinov graduated from the Astrakhan Technical Institute of Fishing Industry and Economy, Academy national economy under the government of the Russian Federation, the German Academy of Lower Saxony. In business since 1990. He created the research and production company "Armada". Since 2005 - Deputy Minister economic development Astrakhan region. President of the Fund for Participants of the Presidential Program in the Astrakhan Region.

Everyone knows that the French are sometimes disparagingly called frogmen because they eat the meat of these amphibians. By the way, the culinary traditions of other peoples, mainly Asian, allow this.

Of course, you need to understand that when they talk about taste qualities frogs, then they do not mean those green jumping frogs that are found in abundance in Russian swamps. Only frogs of a special breed are considered edible. In countries where there is a long culinary tradition of eating frog meat, it brings good dividends, but is it possible to organize a similar business here?

Preparatory stage

There are two ways to raise frogs for sale: in open water or in artificial conditions. In the first case, the technology for breeding and keeping amphibians is much simpler. The costs of creating the necessary infrastructure are also significantly reduced. The downside is that during the cold period the frogs will go to the bottom and stop reproducing.

Raising frogs for meat in a special insulated hangar allows you to successfully solve this problem - if suitable conditions are created, reproduction continues all year round, which provides the company with greater turnover. However, cost-effectiveness calculations show that the first option is still preferable, that is, breeding frogs in their natural habitat.

The fact is that continuous breeding is associated with the need to create special conditions. First of all, this is a separate insulated room with an area of ​​at least 20 square meters. m. It contains terrariums - special glass containers, the cost of which is about 7 thousand rubles. The water in terrariums must be maintained at 25-27 degrees, for which heating devices will be needed in winter. In addition, it will need to be cleaned regularly, passing through filters, which also cost money.

All this will cost a tidy sum - at least 100 thousand rubles. For comparison, when using an open reservoir, the main expense is only the installation of special barriers to prevent frogs from escaping. Thus, own business for frog breeding begins to pay for itself almost immediately, while when growing indoors it will take several years.

At all, best option organizing such a business is a joint venture in a pond, which was originally created for fish breeding. In this case, costs are reduced to a minimum, and such a neighborhood only benefits the man-made ecosystem.

Types of frogs and breeding features

Today, only three types of frogs are eaten: pond frogs, lake frogs, and also the edible frog, which is a hybrid of the previous two varieties. For Russians natural conditions The edible frog should be considered the most suitable, since it is most adapted to our climate.

Starting a business raising frogs for meat from scratch, you will have to take care of purchasing eggs, from which tadpoles will then hatch. You can, of course, take a sexually mature pair of already adult frogs, but due to certain circumstances this is much more difficult to do.

Firstly, you can only buy healthy adult frogs from those who are seriously involved in breeding them, and such entrepreneurs are unlikely to want to breed competitors. Secondly, in this market there is large number scammers who, taking advantage of the insufficient level of knowledge of novice businessmen, may try to sell him defective individuals.

Therefore, the option with caviar, which can be bought at large pet stores, still seems preferable. The eggs should be placed in an environment suitable for the emergence and further development of tadpoles. It is better if at first they are not kept in a body of water, where they have a lot of natural enemies, but in small artificial reservoirs. For these purposes, you can use prefabricated pools or plastic vats with earth poured into the bottom. Along the edges of improvised frog incubators, it is necessary to build earthen banks that are regularly moistened.

Tadpoles develop very quickly. In just 4 months they can be released in open water, and in a year they will reach a marketable state, when they can be caught and sent for processing. In this case, it is better to leave large individuals for reproduction. With this approach, it is possible to maintain the number of livestock at the required level without problems and additional costs, because one female can lay about 15 thousand eggs per year. The only drawback is that tadpoles hatched from eggs reach sexual maturity only in the third year.

Feed base

Edible frogs can grow very large large sizes– the maximum weight of mature individuals reaches 1.5 kg. Of course, this result is rather an exception, but still, a frog weighing about 1 kg is not at all uncommon. Naturally, for an amphibian to reach such a size, it needs a lot of food.

The diet is based on animal food, mainly arachnids and cockroaches, which can be purchased at special pet stores. In some cases, even mice or small lizards can be used. However, when raising frogs for meat in open water, natural resources are most often used, which can significantly reduce the cost of food supply and, as a consequence, finished products.

To do this, above the surface of reservoirs in places largest accumulation frogs are installed with light sources that turn on at nightfall. This attracts a large number of insects, which the frogs catch and eat.

Sales of finished products

But the biggest difficulty with raising frogs for meat associated with the sale of finished products. As a rule, captured frogs are killed with a blow of a mallet, after which the skin is removed, cut up, frozen and in this form packaged in bags, resulting in a product ready for sale.

Potential consumers are restaurants and supermarkets, although the latter, of course, to a lesser extent, especially in the periphery. While in Moscow, St. Petersburg and a number of other large cities the fashion for frog legs can already be considered fully established, in the provinces such a product is still viewed with suspicion.

And yet, some Russian supermarkets are happy to purchase frog meat, with the wholesale price being 4.8-5 thousand rubles per kg. If there are conditions for deeper processing, you can organize the production of an exotic snack for beer - dried frog legs with pepper and other spices.

You should also not lose sight of such a factor as the lack of clear regulations for the trade of such meat. After all, in order to sell frog legs, you need to obtain appropriate permission from veterinary services, which themselves do not fully understand how to work with such a product and draw up permitting documents.

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Currently, many exotic businesses are thriving, and edible frog farming is one of the most profitable businesses. Despite the fact that amphibians seem nasty and scary in appearance, you can make good money by raising them.

Edible frogs for restaurants

As you know, frog legs have managed to gain great popularity in France. The French enjoy eating them and consider them an exquisite delicacy; today this dish is served in the most sophisticated restaurants. It should immediately be noted that such a delicacy is by no means famous for its affordable price.

Originally originating in France, the fashion for eating frog legs very quickly spread to many countries in Europe and the CIS. This dish was simply received with a bang due to its simultaneous simplicity and exoticism.

Frog legs are not only restaurant dish, nowadays you can find a huge number of recipes on forums and blogs using these ingredients. Judging by the enthusiastic comments, it can be understood that edible frogs are also good for homemade. It follows that selling frog meat is quite profitable and not only for restaurants.

Today in Russia business is breeding edible frogs is an incompletely filled niche. Therefore, you should seriously think about starting your own business in this area.

The type of amphibians that are suitable for human consumption are called edible frogs. This type occurred naturally by combining two types of frogs: pond and lake. This species lives almost throughout Europe; it can often be found in the southern part of Russia.

For breeding edible frog You will need to catch a sufficient number of specimens from reservoirs, ponds and rivers. In addition, you will need to purchase their eggs, which will soon turn into a large number of tadpoles.

Where to breed edible frogs?

The most successful option for breeding frogs would be a natural pond; part of it can be fenced off for a future farm. You can also use an artificial pond for this, but remember that the water in it should always be running and clean. Tadpoles need to be raised in special containers that contain not only water, but also peat, soil and charcoal. The soil should always be moist, this is a prerequisite.

Breeding an edible frog You can also practice at home; for this you should carefully equip a suitable room. In such a building, a certain temperature and humidity must always be maintained, and you also need to purchase a terrarium that is suitable in size depending on the number of amphibians.

What to feed edible frogs?

In order to feed edible frogs, you will need to spend a lot of effort, time and money. With proper feeding, many individuals grow from one to one and a half kilograms, this is a pretty good result.

Edible frogs mainly feed on insects, but if it is not possible to constantly obtain insects for them, other animal food can be used. For example, mice, arachnids, birds and crustaceans are perfect for feeding these amphibians.

An edible frog acquires its presentation in a period of twelve to twenty months. Once the frog has been fattened to a suitable size, it will need to be killed using a wooden mallet and butchered with a sharp knife. Frog legs are considered to be the edible part and should be stored in frozen plastic containers or bags. The standard weight of such packaging is one kilogram. If an entrepreneur plans to widely expand his business, then he will definitely need to acquire special packaging equipment.

Who should I sell frogs to?

Of course breeding edible frogs will be successful only if the businessman finds his buyer. If there is a sufficient quantity of goods, you can offer it to catering establishments and restaurants that offer exotic dishes. Supermarkets or stores can also offer frog legs. The average cost of one packaged package there can range from five to fifteen dollars, but ready-made meals will cost much more.

Not only frog legs can be sold, but also other parts of the amphibian carcass. They can be useful to farmers for animal feed or act as fertilizer. With a complete sale, the entrepreneur will be able to receive good additional income.

Not only in France the exquisite and delicate taste of frog legs is appreciated. There are already many admirers of this dish not only in Europe, but also in Russia. Frog meat is valued much higher than veal, and in some countries it is believed that this meat is biological value comparable to sturgeon and pike caviar.

In some countries they even manage to add frog meat to desserts and chocolate. This is done in Peru, and it is believed that the dried meat of these amphibians saves from anemia and helps cure infertility. Even in restaurants in conservative England you can find dishes made from frog legs.

However, not all types of frogs are suitable for consumption, so edible species are bred on special farms.

Species

The French understand the term “edible frogs” as a special species, because it is not appropriate to eat just anything. In fact, frogs that are eaten as food differ from those that live in the natural environment only in the color of their resonator bubbles. Lake lakes have resonators gray, and those individuals that were artificially bred are white.

The most common species eaten in Europe, European frog, is a mixture of pond and lake species.

In general, there are three species in the family of true frogs, which are all considered edible, that is:

• lake Ranidaei Redibunda;
• pond Rana lessonae;
• edible (hybrid of two previous types) Ranaesulenta.

TO edible species also include Leopard frogs and Bullfrogs, but such species do not live in our country.

What frogs are edible in Russia? All three species are found in our country.

Other species that can be eaten do not live in our country. Although such studies have never been carried out in any country, there is no classification of frogs based on the principle of edibility and inedibility. Moreover, there are no such differences among the peoples of our country, because for us this is not a traditional product. It is clear that if the question is whether to survive or die of hunger, but not eat the frog, it is natural that where the amphibian swam and what it ate is not of fundamental importance, the main thing is to survive.

And those brief descriptions individual species of frogs that can be found in specialized literature are only the result own experience specific person. So for breeding you will have to go to a pet store.

If you decide to find biomaterial for your future business on your own, then take a good look at the photos of edible frogs. On the territory of our country there are still some species classified as poisonous. Although there have not yet been cases where someone died from using them, perhaps no one simply tried them. However, to poisonous frogs RF include:

• red-bellied and yellow-bellied toad;
• spadefoot

We buy caviar

In fact, acquiring edible frog eggs is quite a difficult task. There is fierce competition in this market and many scammers. If a person is really engaged in breeding, selling paws to stores, then he is unlikely to want to share a high-quality product for breeding. Fraudsters mainly take advantage of the ignorance of novice entrepreneurs. But you can still try and buy caviar from a reputable pet store.

After purchasing the biomaterial, the eggs should be placed in an artificial reservoir. Even if you have natural water resources, it is not recommended to place eggs there, since in the natural environment future edible frogs have a lot of enemies. Preparing a container for the growth of caviar is quite simple. You can use an ordinary plastic bath, pool or vat. Place earth at the bottom, be sure to make earthen banks around the edges, which will have to be constantly well moistened.

The improvised incubator should be kept constantly clean and warm at +20 degrees. Dirty water significantly increases the percentage of population losses. It is recommended to change the water once every 3-4 days. Just do not use tap water; it is recommended to first filter it and infuse it. Chlorine can have a detrimental effect on the population, and it can even die completely.

The development of tadpoles lasts only 4 months, after which they can be safely released into open water. And already with the onset of the first year of life, the frogs can be sent for processing.

If you properly and carefully care for amphibians, the largest individuals can reach 1.5 kilograms. Although, according to statistics, average weight frogs do not exceed one kilogram.

Further reproduction

In light of the fact that caviar is not the cheapest pleasure, it is recommended to leave the largest individuals from the first, as well as from subsequent broods.

Only one female produces about 15 thousand eggs in one year. Although there is a catch here too. Even edible frogs raised in artificial conditions reach sexual maturity only in the third year.

What to feed?

Do not think that caring for amphibians is a simple matter that does not require much time. In fact, at any stage of breeding, edible frogs eat quite a varied diet. They eat almost all small invertebrates, from caterpillars to bloodworms. They eat insects: beetles, mosquitoes and crustaceans.

Older individuals can even consume small animals (mice, birds, lizards), which they swallow throughout the whole day. It is clear that in order to reach at least a kilogram in weight, a frog will need a large amount of food.

Tadpoles are usually fed organic scraps.

Costs can be significantly reduced by raising amphibians in natural reservoirs. In addition, you can resort to little tricks. With the onset of evening darkness, connect artificial lighting devices, previously connected to the pond with frogs, to attract insects. In this way, the animals will independently cope with the process of obtaining food for themselves.

Possible diseases

Regardless of the type of edible frogs, they are all susceptible to certain diseases. Young animals can develop rickets, so it is recommended to add vitamins to the food.

Preparing the product for sale

Before the frog legs can be sent for sale, the animal will have to be killed. Usually the slaughter is carried out with a mallet, the skin is carefully removed and the paws are separated. However, it should be understood that an adult, especially a large one, is capable of covering about three meters in one jump, so sometimes it is quite difficult to catch them.

After catching and separating the legs, they are placed in plastic bags and frozen.

By the way, the only part of the frog that is eaten is the legs. They are served with different sauces.

Cooking dinner

Naturally, if you are engaged in breeding edible frogs in Russia, you will want to try this delicacy. Preparing them is actually very simple. To begin with, the paws are soaked in cold water, to which lemon juice is added. Then the paws are fried in batter or breadcrumbs on regular frying pan on vegetable oil.

Legal issues

Today, for such a unique product as frog legs, it is quite easy to find a buyer. Even in elite restaurants in big cities there are not so many dishes with frogs, and for one reason only - there is no reliable and good supplier.

However, a businessman may face another problem. At the legislative level, there are no technical regulations for working with meat of this type. And in order to work with hypermarkets or large restaurants, you will need to obtain a certificate from a veterinary service, which itself does not know how to register such a product.

Everyone is accustomed to the fact that a private business must necessarily be based on beautiful and wonderful products. But in the era of original earnings, a frog came to the aid of future entrepreneurs. On one side of the scale is her unsightly appearance. On the other - real opportunity earn money. In the case of breeding for food purposes, only proper care is required. It's not difficult at all!

Restaurant delicacy

Frog legs have long been known as a gourmet restaurant dish. In the best establishments they are served to the table, inventing new recipes. Such pleasure costs a lot of money. Not only in their homeland, France, but all over the world everyone wants to try frog legs. Such culinary trends will no longer surprise anyone in restaurants in the CIS countries. The secret of such popularity of the delicacy from French chefs is its exoticism and ease of preparation. Frog meat is not only healthy and dietary, but also tasty; it tastes very much like chicken.

The meat of these amphibians is gradually ceasing to be the exclusive prerogative of holiday and restaurant menus. The Internet can give advice on how to prepare dishes from frog legs quickly, tasty and original. Judging by the number of discussions and blogs devoted to this topic, the French product is also in demand in the home kitchen. Unconventional business ideas based on the idea of ​​raising frogs as a food product have not yet reached the peak of their popularity. This means that starting your own business in this industry will be a success. You need to know which amphibians can be cooked - this species is called “edible frog”. They get along well in the fresh waters of Europe and the southern, warmer regions of Russia. To start a business you will need to catch required quantity specimens from rivers or lakes where these frogs live. For this work, you can hire local teenagers who, during summer holidays They will gladly take advantage of the opportunity to earn extra money. If for some reason you do not want to catch amphibians, you can buy frog eggs from breeders.

Breeding conditions

A natural pond with a fence for farm use is a real paradise for amphibians. If you do not live near a body of water, you can create an artificial pond. Required condition is the flow and purity of water. The young frogs, tadpoles, are raised in separate tanks filled with water. Peat, charcoal, and soil are also added here. In tanks, the soil must be moistened so that it does not dry out.

What to feed?

It is quite natural that you need to spend money on fattening any animal on which profit depends due to its mass and size. But the benefits will be undeniable! What do frogs eat? From time immemorial, insects continue to be the main (and favorite) dish. But if you want to grow an individual up to 1–1.5 kg, then you should take care of animal feeding. These are spiders, crayfish, and sometimes even mice and small birds. Frog legs are frozen and stored in plastic bags. If you put your business on stream and do business on a large scale, special packaging equipment will come in handy.

Where and to whom to sell

When thinking through your own business from the beginning, you need to immediately establish contacts with the sales market. Despite the increased popularity of frog meat, the main purchasing segment remains restaurants and public catering establishments, if such a delicacy is on the menu. You can negotiate with restaurant owners, or you can bring to life a business idea on how to open your own restaurant.

Supermarkets and regular stores can also purchase this dietary meat (customers at home like to experiment). Average price The store price of paws is 5 – 15 dollars, and those prepared in a restaurant are several times more expensive.

Additional funds may also come from other parts of the amphibian. They are used to feed animals and fertilize land.