A new large potato processing enterprise will soon appear in Russia: in May 2021, McCain Foods Rus, the world's largest producer of French fries, will begin construction of a plant in the Tula Region. The launch of the lines is scheduled for late 2022 - early 2023. The planned processing capacity is 200-220 thousand tons of raw materials per year, the output of finished products is more than 100 thousand tons per year.
The implementation of such a large-scale project is undoubtedly an important event for the entire industry.
We talk with the General Director of McCain Foods Rus LLC Alexander Petrov and the agro director of the enterprise Georgy Sitnik about the tasks the Canadian company sets for its Russian plant, where it plans to buy raw materials and where to supply finished products.
“McCain has been choosing a site for the future plant for many years. Why did you end up in the Tula region?
Alexander Petrov: There were several selection criteria. First of all, we were worried about the issue of raw materials: it was important that within a radius of 500 km from the potential location of the plant there were many agricultural enterprises specializing in growing potatoes. And the Tula region, as you know, ranks second in Russia in terms of the gross harvest of potatoes.
Georgy Sitnik: I would add that in this region, potato production is constantly growing, the number of specialized plant growing enterprises is increasing, and this positive dynamics is achieved not only due to favorable climatic conditions for culture, but also thanks to the support from local authorities. This is also very valuable for us.
Alexander Petrov: When choosing a region, the availability of infrastructure (electricity, gas, water) available for new industries and the prospects for obtaining tax incentives were also of great importance. Since 2016, the Special Economic Zone "Uzlovaya" has been operating in the Tula Region, where we were offered all the necessary conditions. A huge advantage of this section is the convenient transport interchange (the intersection of the federal highway M-4 "Don" and the highway R-140).
Well, let's not forget that the Tula region is located in the center of Russia, not far from the capital - the main market for frozen French fries in the country at the moment.
The full text of the interview will be published in the "Potato System" magazine # 2 (2021). The magazine will be released on June 2.
We remind you that potato farms in Russia can subscribe to the magazine for free.
To do this, you just need to fill out an application indicating your data:
• Name of the farm
• Sown area total (ha)
• Area under potatoes (ha)
• Vegetable area (ha)
• Postal address (with zip code)
• Responsible person (name, position)
• Contact information of the person in charge (phone, e-mail)
And send it to: KS@agrotradesystem.ru marked "magazine for free."