EkoNiva, Russia’s largest dairy holding, is looking into opportunities for expanding its presence and building a new farm in Leningrad oblast. At St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Governor Aleksandr Drozdenko and EkoNiva Group President Stefan Dürr have signed an agreement on social and economic cooperation.

Both parties are set to develop the region’s farming sector and strengthen its food security by ramping up the production of both raw milk and finished dairy. One of the key prerequisites for implementing EkoNiva’s investment project is the creation of facilities for processing the entire volume of milk manufactured in the region.

‘The dairy industry is one of the priorities in the agricultural economy of Leningrad oblast. And when a global player like EkoNiva, the largest raw milk producer in Russia and one of the leaders in the world, chooses our region for new capital investments, it is worth a lot. This project is not just backed by billions of rubles of real input – it will enhance the technological potential of our dairy industry. Together, we are shaping the “food backbone” of the entire Northwest. Our region is expected to both become self-sufficient and help its neighbouring areas grow, supplying them with high-quality raw milk and processed products’, says Aleksandr Drozdenko, Governor of Leningrad Oblast.

‘As Russia’s leading raw milk producer, EkoNiva strives to scale up its business in its key geographies, including Leningrad oblast. Here, the Group intends to establish a dairy cluster based on the existing enterprises, which will provide natural premium dairy products to the regions of the Northwestern Federal District. We are grateful to the local government for their close attention to the industry and the comprehensive support they have been offering to us. We will keep making efforts to develop Leningrad oblast, so that more people choose it as a place for work and a comfortable life’, shares Stefan Dürr, EkoNiva Group President.

EkoNiva has been operating in the region since 2019 and is one of its largest milk producers today. The total herd size is 5,800 head, of which 3,100 are dairy cows. The Group’s enterprises are located on the territory of Volosovo and Kingisepp districts. Grain crops and perennial grass mixtures are grown on an overall farmland area of about 9,200 hectares. The company employs 300 people.