Russia: Cherkizovo Group unveils plans to invest over $44m in new feed mill, backs ag sector talent development
The financial outlay will strengthen the group’s leadership in the domestic meat industry, said Sergey Mikhailov, CEO, Cherkizovo Group.
The company has revealed that it plans to build a 130-ton-per-hour feed mill and complete the second phase of a silo with a one-time grain storage capacity of 220,000 tons in the Lipetsk Region in Russia, with the group looking to invest RUB 3.5bn (US$44.4m) in the feed mill and RUB 2bn (US$27.7m) in the silo.
It is also planning to spend RUB 7.5bn (US$104.6m) on the construction of six broiler production farms as well as spending RUB 8bn (US$111.6m) on the establishment of four pig farms in the same region.
The company is aiming to invest the most – more than RUB 55bn (US$767.8m) - on new projects in the Tula Region of Russia including the construction of a facility for slaughtering, storage, and processing of pork, with a capacity of 4.2 million heads per year, as well as a plant for broiler slaughtering and processing.
June 2 also saw the meat and feed group announce, at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, that it is collaborating with Innopraktika, a Russia based non-governmental development institution, on a roadmap to advance agricultural R&D and education in the country, to nurture agricultural talent, as well as jointly evaluating Russian-made products for agricultural applications, including crop protection agents and feed additives.
"No doubt, the joint projects outlined in the roadmap will yield measurable results in the foreseeable future, both as regards enhancing efficiency in crop farming and feed production, and improving the quality of agricultural education, which is crucial for the Russian agricultural industry. Having on board [with us] a partner with such extensive knowledge and [such a] scientific track record as Innopraktika will enable us to greatly advance these goals and benefit the country's agricultural industry as a whole,” commented Maxim Zudin, who heads up the feed and grain segments at the Cherkizovo Group.
