Japan to build poultry complex in Russian Far East
Japanese companies have been given permission to build a large complex for poultry processing and production on the territory of Sakhalin Island over the next two to three years, under an agreement reached between the the island’s Ministry of Agriculture and a trade delegation from Japan, which included representatives from the country’s largest poultry businesses.
The delegation also discussed the possibility of Japan exporting more meat to the Russian Far East region, which has harsh climatic conditions and is extremely remote, resulting in a deficit of all types of meat products.
The exact details of the project are still under discussion. However, head of the delegation and president of Japanese poultry company Chuo-Sekkey, Kato Atsuo, said that the poultry industry of Sakhalin held significant prospects for Japanese businesses. In general, industry experts agree with him.
“Currently, all meat-processing plants in the Far East are working in tough market conditions – the region has a deficit in supply of raw materials. Meat is produced in such small quantities here that practically no large enterprises can operate without import. According to some estimates, the Russian Far East consumes about 85% imported meat,” said Russian agricultural expert Elena Akabasheva.
“On Sakhalin, 94% of the meat consumed in the region is imported. It is delivered primarily from St Petersburg, Moscow and Vladivostok. Large companies also have quotas on import of meat from abroad,” the expert added.
According to analysts, Japan has the potential to supply up to 100,000-150,000 tonnes of poultry products into the territory of the Russian Far East this year, both directly and from the new poultry complex on Sakhalin.
Local authorities hope that the involvement of Japan will result in a better quality supplies of poultry meat at lower prices than current imports from other regions of Russia.
