OREANDA-NEWS. June 9, 2011. A new factory Yagoda Karelii (Berry of Karelia) Ltd for advanced processing of wild and garden berries opened on the Day of the Republic on June 8 in the outskirts of Petrozavodsk.

Opening of this enterprise was long-awaited. A plenty of cowberries, cranberries, bilberries, cloudberries and other berries is gathered annually in Karelia, and neither in the republic, nor in the whole Russia there was modern equipment to process this valuable raw material.

The factory will produce jams, preserves and confitures made of wild and garden berries, as well as various flavours widely used in dairy and confectionery industry at production of ice-cream and juices. Yagoda Karelii will become the largest enterprise in Russia producing these kinds of products with a complete technological cycle of processing.

Head of the Republic of Karelia Andrei Nelidov has taken part in the ceremony of opening of the modern enterprise. Chief Federal Inspector in the Republic of Karelia Alexander Hynninen, deputy of the State Duma Valentina Pivnenko, First Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of Karelia Ivan Romanov, Chief of the Administration of the Head of the Republic of Karelia Vladimir Khlebalin, members of the Administration of Petrozavodsk, the Government Ministers came to congratulate the management of the enterprise on completion of works.

Andrei Nelidov in his speech has pointed out that Yagoda Karelii (Berry of Karelia) factory is a project symbolic for the republic: "Launching the enterprise using advanced technologies we are making another step to make Karelia the best. Symbolic is the fact that we celebrate the Day of the Republic not making reports, but opening a new factory."

Investments within the project have made 674 million roubles, including a credit of more than 500 million roubles issued by Rosselkhozbank, Ltd. These funds were used to build in the outskirts of Petrozavodsk a new industrial complex with advanced Italian equipment operating according to the ecological and nonwaste technology. The equipment is unique for it allows to keep all useful qualities of berries and fruit and to automate the process of processing of berries completely. The set of the equipment allows to adjust a full work cycle — from electronic clearing of berries and fruit to packing of manufactured goods, and the packing volumes may vary from 25 grams to 1000 kgs.

Besides the basic production, in territory of the factory there have been constructed a refrigerated warehouse, an administrative block, a gas boiler-house, a transformer substation and treatment facilities, a gas pipeline has been laid there.

Director General of the enterprise Eduard Krul has thanked the Government of Karelia for the constant assistance at all stages of construction of the factory: "In the context of the economical crisis this project would not have succeeded without everyday work and help from authorities of the republic and the city. None of the numerous task we'd faced remained without solution." According to Eduard Krul, when the factory achieves its designed capacity it is expected to produce 44 tons of products a day on the average. The maximal daily production rate will make up to 60 tons.

Implementation of this investment project is also of great social importance for the republic. Currently, the factory offers employment to 70 workers. The average wages make more than 20,000 roubles. Upon the equipment start-up at full capacity the number of the enterprise employees will make about 200 people. Besides, the factory will provide occupation for the people gathering wild berries and growing garden berries all over the republic.