A poultry cluster to be established in our region.
The main subject of the meeting at Mikhailovskaya poultry factory last week was the possibility of revival of Saratov poultry industry. Governor Pavel Ipatov expressed his assurance that such task is quite feasible for the current poultry farms.

“We considered the issues of upgrade of poultry industry, formation of a cluster of for production of poultry meat. Today the consumption level of poultry meat in the region is twice higher than the production. We have no problems with supplying such food products to Saratov residents, but we have all possibilities to satisfy such demand at the expense of own production. For that purpose we have to triple production of seed eggs and double the production of poultry meat. That can be done at the expense of involving modern innovation technologies. During the traditional Green Week in Berlin we signed agreements for supply of advanced equipment for our poultry factories from Germany – it will appear this year already. The investment project we heard of – high-efficient and with the payback period of two to six years must be and will be implemented.
The principal subject of the discussion, according to the head of the region, was the  state support of poultry industry.
“It is also planned to develop production of turkey meat, Pavel Leonidovich noted. – That is done under the management of the Government of the Russian Federation. Three factories will be build in the territory of Russia, and one of them in our region. But here, at the Mikhailovskaya poultry factory and related businesses of Tatischevo, Saratov and Baltaisk districts, we will support and improve what we already have. I want to emphasize that within the framework of the doctrine of food safety of Russia adopted now and within the framework of the program of development of poultry-production industry of the country which the Russian Government is going to adopt in the beginning of the second quarter of the current year, we actually create our Saratov bird industry from the beginning.  
General Director of Mikhailovskaya Poultry Factory JSC Alexey Scherbakov said that as early as in the beginning of the past year 2009 there was an intent to fully replace imported poultry by local products, however, the crisis hampered that. But the beginning year 2010 gives the possibility to catch up. Caging equipment manufactured by German firm Hartman which is planned to be acquired in the near future, will allow to increase the livestock of broiler chickens by two to 70 thousand. The reconstruction of the fodder production shop with the help of the same partner and new slaughtering line will allow to increase production of meat by 400 tons already during this year. In the perspective it is planned to increase production of meat by two – that will, according to the governor, require three years. Six years is quite an acceptable term for project payback, and then we can talk about triple increase of chicken meat production: from 14 thousand tons produced currently to 38 thousand tons.
The general director of the factory drew the attention of the members of the meeting to the fact that increase of the volume of production of meat is possible only in case of solving a range of problems. It is possible to grow double amount of poultry, but that need production of double number of spring chickens in the incubator, produce double amounts of fodder in the fodder shop, to increase the capacity of the slaughter shop by two.
Pavel Ipatov said that such project is quite feasible, especially taking into account the investment attractiveness of our region. But for that it is necessary to solve the issue of state support, and such proposals developed jointly with the deputies of the Saratov Regional Duma are planned to be submitted to the Government of Russia in February.
The representatives of PR Zorinsky JSC of the Saratov district, PPZ Tsarevschinsky-2 JSC of Baltaisk district, breeding farm Vozrozhdenie-1 OOO of Tatischevo  district, Tatischevo poultry factory spoke at the meeting.
The people at the meeting came to the conclusion that Tatischevo district has all possibilities to become the main bird farming district of the region, moreover, there is a bird on its coat of arms – however not the chicken, but Gamayun, a prophetic bird of Russian folklore. During the Soviet period, 23 poultry factories were operating there, but now there are only three, but, increasing their capacities they can do it in such a way so that the Saratov residents will forget the taste of imported chicken meat forever – the domestic is always better.
Finalizing the business talk, the minister of agriculture of the region Alexander Igovkin and general director of Mikhailovskaya poultry farm signed a cooperation agreement.
 

Saratov regional newspaper, Saratov