The company’s general director, Vadim Vaneev, recently met with Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev in the Rostov-on-Don to discuss the creation of the centre, which it is proposing to build in the Ust`-Donetsky district of Rostov Region.
The centre, which was approved by the Supervisory Board of Vnesheconombank in April, will produce 'heavy' crosses of turkey and will be developed in collaboration with world leader in poultry genetics, Aviagen.
Vaneev said that Eurodon is currently in negotiation to provide its selective genetics services to a number of international companies. For example, British and Canadian turkey breeds are currently reared and processed in the Rostov region and sold under the 'Indolina' trade mark.
Showing Medvedev a picture of a 45 kilo turkey reared on one of Eurodon’s farms as an example of the progress of genetics, Vaneev said: “Let’s make comparison with dogs- there are highbred shepherds and there are simple street dogs. This one is a shepherd in a turkey world.”
NTF membership
The company is also in talks to join the US National Turkey Federation (NTF), whose members include producers, processors, breeders and distributors across the US. Vaneev took part in a conference organised by the NTF in February and the question of membership was raised again at a meeting of the NTF in the summer. It is expected that a final decision will made at the next meeting of the NTF, due to take place in San Diego in 2013.
Vaneev said that the US turkey market currently producers 2.5 million tones of turkey per year but has little room for expansion, with only a 30,000t increase expected in US turkey production this year. He said that Eurodon already produces 35,000t of live weight meat per year, which is 30% of the Russian market, and has plans to double production in a year.
Further plans include the development of a fully integrated duck production chain, from incubator to processing. The company said that in one year it hopes to be the largest duck producer in Europe, producing 20,000 tonnes per year. In two years, it hopes to double this amount.