January 22 2008, 09:58

Germans will pickle cucumbers for McDonald's in Rostovskaya region

"Agram" company jointly with German company Develey will construct the facility for cucumber pickling of the capacity up to 2,500 tons of products per year in Rostovskaya region. The preparation works are in progress now in Bagayevskiy district. The products are supposed to be supplied to fast food chains.

Alexander Turov, the Chief of Agricultural Department, the Administration of Bagayevskiy district, informed "Vedomosti" that in the end of 2007 "Agram" company purchased winery "Bagayevskiy" from the individuals, and two hectares of land in Bagayevskiy district. According to Anatoliy Revyakin, General Director of "Agram", the facility for cucumber pickling will be created in the premises of winery.

The main cucumber suppliers to "Agram" are "Progress" agricultural cooperative in Rostovskaya region, the farms in Krasnodarskiy kray and Voronezhskaya region. Now "Agram" is negotiating the supplies with the farms "Svetlogorskaya" and "Demetra" (Bagayevskiy district of Rostovskaya region), Mr. Turov said.

He added that up to 20,000 tons of cucumbers were totally grown in Bagayevskiy district in 2007. Also, the company plans to additionally purchase 100 ha of agricultural land for vegetable production. "Agram" plans to fully transfer production from Moscow to Rostovskaya region till 2010, Mr. Revyakin says. The concentration of processing facilities in Rostovskaya region let the company bring the production closer to raw material base, Mr. Revyakin observes.

Now "Agram" owns the production facility of 2,500 tons of pickled cucumbers per year in Moscow. Forty percents of the totally produced volumes are supplied to McDonald's chain, the other 60% are purchased by "Markon" company (which develops "Stardog!s" chain) and other fast food chains. Maxim Polluksov, the Manager of Purchase Department of "Markon" company, says that now fast food chains set more rigid terms for the suppliers; "Agram" company together with German partner will be able to produce cucumbers of the required quality.