Russian Aquaculture plans to invest around RUB 1.5 billion (USD 23 million) in the construction of a plant for the production of smolts (Atlantic salmon fry) in the Murmansk region.
The announcement was made by the Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture of the region, Andrei Ivanov, who indicated that the location of the facilities has not yet been decided, informed Agroinvestor.
In 2017, Russian Aquaculture became the main owner of two smolt plants in Norway. The company said that this step would allow it to adopt the technologies and long-term experience of the Norwegian experts to later build its own plant in Russia.
The purchase of the Norwegian producers came two years after the Russian company was on the verge of bankruptcy after the mass death of fish and poor environmental management.
With the acquisition of the Norwegian plants, the company has its own smolts to cover an important part of its supply needs, which allows it to significantly reduce its operating costs and biological risks.
However, the managers of Russian Aquaculture believe that in order for the company to continue developing, it needs to make new investments in the production of salmon fry.
YouTube Video: The portfolio of PJSC "Russian Aquaculture" included 29 areas for the commercial cultivation of salmon and trout in the lakes of Karelia and in the Barents and White seas.
In 2018, production of Atlantic trout and salmon farmed in Russia grew by 20 per cent to 67,000 tonnes, according to the Russian Fisheries Agency. The main production is concentrated in the Northwest Federal District, where last year 58,700 tonnes of these species were farmed, representing 22 per cent more than in 2017.
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