EkoNiva Group, Russia’s largest dairy holding, has announced the commissioning of Penevichi farm in Khvastovichi district of Kaluga oblast. Rosselkhozbank became the company’s financial partner in the project, with the joint investments amounting to 4.4 billion rubles.

The construction of Penevichi has been underway since 2023. It is designed for 3,550 cows and 4,630 head of young stock. The herd is mainly represented by high-yielding Holstein cows. The dairy has a production capacity of about 40,000 tonnes of raw milk per year and creates 150 jobs.

The infrastructure of the farm comprises four barns, calf pens and a feed centre. Cutting-edge equipment and technologies are used at the facilities: a 72-stall rotary milking parlour and efficient digital solutions for herd management, including Eko.Feed, the Group’s in‑house developed software for animal nutrition.

‘By the milk production growth rates, our region steadily remains among the leaders in the country. We pay close attention to staff training, comprehensive development of rural areas and major localities and improving animal genetics. There are excellent prospects for boosting dairy farming in Kaluga oblast to keep fulfilling the tasks set by the President of Russia to ensure food security’, says Vladislav Shapsha, Governor of the region.

‘The new dairy will contribute to meeting the rising demand for milk products in the country: over the recent years, their consumption by Russians has reached record levels in the entire post-Soviet history, and this trend is likely to continue. New investment projects in farming and the upgrade of existing capacities are key to saturating the market with high-quality dairy produce and attaining the objective of ramping up agricultural production by 2030 stated by the President. And Rosselkhozbank, as the backbone bank of the industry, will further support the sector and our partners’, notes Boris Listov, Chairman of the Management Board of Rosselkhozbank.

‘The construction of modern dairy farms plays a significant part in strengthening Russia’s food security. EkoNiva has been the largest raw milk producer in the country for nine years now, increasing its gross milk yield every year, including through the expansion of its capacities. Kaluga oblast boasts a powerful agricultural cluster, and we are pleased to benefit its activities. Thanks to the assistance from the regional government, we have implemented major projects and are looking forward to new accomplishments’, says Stefan Dürr, EkoNiva Group President.

The holding has been operating in Kaluga oblast since 2006, running farms in seven districts. The Group’s regional subdivision is engaged in milk production and processing, crop growing and pedigree cattle breeding and is a breeding reproducer of Holstein cows. In Khvastovichi district, EkoNiva is represented by Troitskiy operation managing about 11,200 hectares of farmland, half of which is used for growing silage maize, annual and perennial grasses to provide the herd with succulent and rough fodder.