OREANDA-NEWS. On April 30, 2008 Cherkizovo Group, one of Russia's leading integrated and diversified meat producers, announced the commission of the fourth module at Lipetskmyasoprom, one of the Group's industry leading pig facilities in the Lipetsk region, reported the press-centre of Cherkizovo Group. 

The fourth module is the last module to be constructed at the Group's Lipetskmyasoprom pig facility. Once the fourth module reaches its full capacity, which is expected to occur in the middle of 2009, it is expected that it will provide 12,500 tonnes of live weight volume per year at the site.

The first two modules, which have been operating since February 2006, are working on full capacity at 12,500 tonnes of live weight volume at each site per year. The third module is expected to reach full capacity by the beginning of 2009. With all four modules running at full capacity by the middle of 2009, the total production capacity at the Lipetskmyasoprom facility will be approximately 50,000 tonnes оf live weight per year.

Upon completion, each of the four modules at the Lipetskmyasoprom facility will operate 4,800 sows, with an expected capacity to breed more than 100,000 slaughter pigs per year (12,500 tonnes of live weight) and each module includes separate breeding, rearing and fattening facilities and are equipped with state-of-the art equipment. In addition, the Company entered into long-term lease agreements for a period of up to 49 years with local authorities with respect to approximately 14,600 hectares of land.

Sergey Mikhailov, CEO of Cherkizovo Group, said:
"We are delighted to have completed the construction of the last module at our Lipetskmyasoprom facility. The site, which is on track to reach its full capacity, across all four modules by the middle of 2009, has already significantly increased the production scale in our pork business. We look forward to further expanding our foothold in the market as the third and fourth modules come on stream".

"It is a significant milestone for the Group, which management believes now has the most advanced pork production facilities in Russia, and ones that are on par with most modern pork production facilities in Europe."