As the the Retail.r, a joint venture between the Belaya Dacha group of companies and the international agricultural holding Lamb Weston Meijer in the Lipetsk region has resumed its work. During the break in work at the plant, a large-scale modernization of production was carried out at a cost of 650 million rubles, which made it possible to significantly increase the processing speed and improve the quality of finished products. The main client of the enterprise is McDonald's - the company almost completely covers its need for imports.
The Lam Weston Belaya Dacha plant is the first site for the production of French fries in Russia. Each supplier of the joint venture uses the latest equipment, and each batch of finished products undergoes quality control in the laboratory. Lam Weston Belaya Dacha, together with farmers, uses modern technologies for growing potatoes, actively studies and implements the world's best practices in foreign markets. Mutually beneficial cooperation with farmers helps to achieve success in obtaining high quality high yields of potatoes. The entire process of growing, storing, transporting and processing potatoes is strictly controlled by food safety management programs.
“Today 99% of McDonald's products in Russia are supplied by the flagships of the domestic agro-industrial complex in full compliance with the strictest international standards. During the pandemic, the supply of French fries to McDonald's did not stop for a minute: thanks to the developed supply network, it was possible to ensure uninterrupted supply of all enterprises, even during the temporary closure of the enterprise in the Lipetsk region, "says Igor Shpakov, head of the McDonald's direct purchasing (food) group at Russia.
Potato yields are unusually high this year, with tubers large enough to produce French fries early in the season. The early harvest from the South of Russia from the farmers of the Astrakhan Region and the Stavropol Territory began to process from August 1, and on August 10 they switched to processing the main crop of the Innovator potato variety. Potatoes were supplied for processing from the Central Federal District - from farmers from Lipetsk, Tula, Bryansk and Voronezh regions.
In the very near future, McDonald's visitors throughout Russia will be able to appreciate the taste of selected potatoes from the new crop grown in Russia and processed in the Lipetsk region, which meets the strictest international quality standards.