The Korocha Pig Farm was launched in the Korocha district of the Belgorod Region in early 2009. Currently, the farm is the largest and best-equipped slaughter house in Russia. The facility can process an annual capacity of 2 million pigs, which makes up 165,000 tons of slaughter-weight pork.
The farm occupies an area of 52,700 sq m and comprises two zones:
an abattoir building (preslaughter treatment, slaughtering, by-product processing, natural sausage casing production, alimentary blood and eible fat processing, inedible by-product manufacture); meat processing facility (head cooling and dissection, pig halves trimming, pork packaging and freezing).
The farm processes pigs supplied by Miratorg and other pig breeding enterprises in the Belgorod Region.
The farm is far more advanced than most foreign swine processing plants because of the innovative and advanced technology used.
Investment in the project totaled 5.4 billion roubles, ($175.7 million), including 2.6 billion roubles ($84.6 million) spent on high-performance equipment from the world's top manufacturers:
slaughter equipment by Banss (Germany), Butina (Denmark), ITEC (Germany);
refrigerating equipment by York (USA/Denmark);
processing equipment by Anitec (Sweden), Haarslev (Denmark), Tremesa (Spain);
packaging equipment by Cryovac (USA), Mondini (Italy), Multivac (Germany) and Marel (Iceland);
sewage treatment equipment by MRS-Aqua (Netherlands).
The farm has a high level of automation and meat processing depth, which allows a nearly full procession of pigs and the manufacture of a broad variety of up to 170 products, including chilled pig halves, vacuum-packed cuts, by-products, tankage, food and industrial fat, blood plasma and hemoglobin, sausage casing and consumer-packaged prefabricated meat.
The farm supplies its products to meat processing enterprises, distribution networks and catering facilities. Most of the inedible by-products are sold to animal feedstuff and soap manufacturers.
The continuous technological cycle from pig acceptance to final product packaging, uses a high level of industrial automation, guaranteed compliance with sanitary and veterinary regulations and standards which ensure a longer storage time of frozen end-products and high sanitary standards.
The facility is fitted with high-performance equipment for sewage treatment, turning out cleaned, close to natural quality water.
The farm consumes an average of 2,400 and 10,000 cubic meters of water and gas, respectively, and 55,000 kilowatts of electricity daily.
Another slaughter line is scheduled for installation by 2010, which will raise the annual output to 3 million pigs, making up over 10% of the country's total processing.
Korocha Pig Farm is a major employer in the Korocha district. Currently employment is 1,680 people, and will rise to 2,528 people after the farm switches to a four-shift operation. The average wage is at 16,000 roubles per month ($520). The farm has a specialist training center.
Korocha Pig Farm plays a significant role in the application of the import substitution strategy for Russia's meat market.
The farm is a major tax payer in the Korocha district.
The Belgorod Region authorities assisted Miratorg in realizing the project, constructing an approach road and power network connections. According to the governmental programme for agriculture development, the Central Bank's credit interest rate is subsidized by one third.