Fry will be planted with trout – Newspaper Kommersant No. 202 (7403) dated 10/31/2022

Atlantic salmon and trout producer Maksim Vorobiev’s Inarctica strengthens vertical business integration. The company plans to purchase a trout fry breeding complex, which will increase the production of red fish. The deal will also allow the manufacturer to replace part of the dropped imports due to sanctions.

The structures of the Russian producer of Atlantic salmon and trout Inarctica became the owners of Aquaculture Breeding Center LLC, which breeds trout fry in the Kaluga region. Changes in the composition of the participants in the head structure “Aquaculture Center” were made on October 24, follows from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities.

The breeding center breeds fry for fish producers in recirculating water systems from caviar imported from Poland, the United States, Denmark, France and other countries, the company’s website says. Inarctica is also named among the clients. The center also planned to create a broodstock for the release of its caviar. The production volume of fry was to reach 16 million per year.

Inarctica (formerly Russian Aquaculture) owns the rights to 40 plots in the Barents Sea and lakes of Karelia for salmon and trout farming. In 2021, sales increased by 80%, to 27.9 thousand tons, revenue increased by 91%, to 15.9 billion rubles. year by year. The main owner of the group is Maxim Vorobyov, brother of the governor of the Moscow Region Andrei Vorobyov.

Previously, the breeding center was part of the Bioresurs holding, the owner of which was called the former top manager of OFK Bank Sergey Kuznetsov in the media. The Central Bank revoked the license from OFK-Bank in 2018. And in 2021, the court found the ex-head of OFK Bank Nikolai Gordeev guilty of abuse of power – issuing unsecured loans for almost 30 billion rubles. structures controlled by the beneficiary of the bank and the former head of Rosalkogolregulirovanie Igor Chuyan. The victim in the case was a shareholder of OFK-Bank, a partner of the bureau “Egorov, Puginsky, Afanasiev and Partners” Nikolai Egorov.

Since 2018, several owners have changed at the breeding center, follows from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities. The last was Viktor Polyakov, who developed the investment and consulting business, and also worked at Alfa-Bank, Rosbuilding, A1, RT-Capital, Yukov and Partners, and others. Kommersant failed to contact him. In the breeding center, “Kommersant” did not answer.

Inarctica told Kommersant that the deal has not been finalized and its terms are being discussed. They added that they are working on a potential production plan and a strategy for the development of an asset within the perimeter of the group. Ilya Bereznyuk, managing partner of Agro & Food Communications, believes that Inarctica strives to build a closed-loop business, controlling fish farming at every stage. According to him, own production of fry will ensure the required quality, as well as better control the cost.

Alexander Fomin, executive director of the Association of Production and Trading Enterprises of the Fish Market, adds that the deal may also allow Inarctica to increase the production of red fish, which is especially important in the context of limited imports. After the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine and a new wave of sanctions, the Faroe Islands stopped shipments, there are almost no supplies from Chile, which creates a shortage of salmon and trout, the expert notes. As stated in the SberCIB review, in 2021, red fish imports were estimated at 100,000 tons, mainly from Chile and the Faroe Islands. According to Mr. Fomin, the cost of trout in the wholesale sector against this background reaches 1 thousand rubles. per 1 kg and the profitability of the business can be quite high.

The purchase of the breeding center will also allow Inarctica to load the F-Traut Kaluga trout breeding complex with a capacity of more than 500 tons of fish per year with fry. On the purchase of this enterprise for 350 million rubles. the structure of the group agreed this summer. According to SberCIB, one of the risks for Inarctica is a decrease in consumer income, which could force them to switch to cheaper types of fish or meat.

Anatoly Kostyrev