MOSCOW, RUSSIA — Cherkizovo Group, Russia’s largest meat producer, is expanding its pork and feed mill production in the country’s Tambov Region, announcing Feb. 14 two projects with a total investment of 12.5 billion rubles ($166.5 million).

Cherkizovo’s development of modern pig farms in the region will add four finisher sites in the Pervomaysky District at a cost of 8.5 billion rubles ($113.22 million). The new sites, each capable of accommodating 40,000 pigs, will enable Cherkizovo to increase pork output by more than 45,000 tonnes annually. The existing pig farms in central Russia currently can produce over 300,000 tonnes.

Cherkizovo also plans to spend 4 billion rubles ($53.28 million) to ramp up the capacity of its feed mill in the Pervomaysky District. It currently supplies feed to the bird houses of Cherkizovo Group’s Tambov Turkey. Following the launch of additional capacities in 2023, the mill is expected to reach output of 60 tonnes to 80 tonnes of feed per hour. 

“In the next few years, Cherkizovo plans to significantly increase its meat processing volumes, which means that we are going to need additional pig farms,” said Sergey Mikhailov, chief executive officer of Cherkizovo Group. “For their construction, we have opted for the Tambov Region, thanks to its sound investment climate and many years of successful projects in pork, poultry, crop, and feed production,” 

Maxim Yegorov, acting head of the Tambov Region administration, said Cherkizovo’s investments will strengthen the region as Russia’s major food hub.  The project agreements will be formalized during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, June 15-18, he said.

The construction of pig farms and the feed mill ramp-up will help create 200 new jobs in the Tambov Region. Since 2013, Cherkizovo has invested more than 15 billion rubles ($199.6 million) in the region, with the company’s local production sites now employing nearly 2,500 people.