E-Malt.com News article: 3106

Russia: Cargill Inc. has started this week the construction of two new malt and sweetener plants in Russia, a US$100 million project. The plants will be built at Cargill's Efremov facility in the Tula region of the country. The plants will need 300,000 tonnes of wheat and barley each year, according to a press release from Minnetonka-based Cargill. Most of the grains will be bought from producers in the region.

The OAO GPK "Efremovsky" maize plant will continue to operate during the project, which includes upgrades to the complex infrastructure. The facility produces a range of starches for the food and industrial sectors as well as a range of feed products for local agricultural complexes and farms.

Cargill bought the site and its facilities in 1995 for an undisclosed amount and has since invested more than US$60 million in modernizing the original plant. The confectionery and beer industries in Russia use the liquid sweetener produced in Efremov. The facility also produces starches for the food and industrial sectors in the country and feed products for local farmers.

Privately owned Cargill reported it is one of the leading foreign investors in Russia, with investments in agriculture and food processing activities worth more than $150 million. Cargill Russia employs 1,020 people, 99 % of them Russian nationals.

Cargill began its activities in Russia in 1991 with the opening of a representative office in Moscow, although a prior trading relationship with Russian-based organizations dates back some 30 years. With facilities in Krasnodar, Efremov, Bryukhovetsky and Voronezh, and with more than U.S.$150 million invested in the Russian agricultural and food processing sectors, Cargill is one of the leading foreign investors in Russia.


14 August, 2004