“We have mechanisms to keep prices”: Sibagro on the company’s work under sanctions

Sibagro is one of the all-Russian leaders in pork production. Arguments and Facts - Ural talked to Vladimir Stogniy, director of the Uralsky pig farm of the Sibagro company, and found out how the sanctions will affect the operation of the enterprise, whether Sibagro will maintain its social obligations and what priorities the company faces today.

— Vladimir Ivanovich, what changes did you have to make to the work of the pig farm due to the situation in the country and the world?

— For us, each crisis is an impetus to development, the search for new solutions and resources. This is an opportunity to reconsider certain values, set new goals and move towards their achievement with redoubled energy. Today the country is provided with its own food, this is the contribution of our enterprise. Of course, we are experiencing a number of difficulties in connection with the change in the dollar exchange rate, for example, in the acquisition of equipment, spare parts (besides, their cost has doubled). At the moment, we have to make adjustments to budget plans, work to find new suppliers, build new supply chains. But, despite this, all started investments will be completed without fail. As for the new ones, they have been suspended for the time being, today it is necessary to understand how the situation on the labor and goods market will develop.

— How does the company solve the problem of fodder base, genetic material?

“Due to the own feed base of the Sibagro pig farm in Yekaterinburg, to be precise, in the Bogdanovichsky and Kamyshlovsky districts of the Sverdlovsk region, we can significantly reduce the cost of pork and, ultimately, the price of Sibagro products. Already next year, a surplus harvest of grain and oilseeds is expected; for this, the sown area has been increased from 3.5 thousand to 13.5 thousand hectares. As for genetics, we have completely updated all our "first lines", there will be enough material for another year or two. During this time, it is planned to independently organize this work, because Sibagro has its own modern genetic center.

- At many enterprises of the country now there are staff reductions. Will the Sibagro pig complex, whose products are supplied to Yekaterinburg and the region, follow the same scenario?

We are a big company that cares about its employees. There can be no talk of any job cuts. I will say more, production is developing, which means that new jobs will be organized. At the same time, the income of our employees will continue to grow. To date, the average salary for the enterprise is 46.6 thousand rubles, which is one of the highest rates in the agro-industrial complex of the region. In addition, we index wages for inflation and keep all social benefits and payments. The company also provides assistance to employees whose families are in a difficult life situation. They can always count on social assistance from their own enterprise, and sanctions cannot change anything here.

— Does the state support the agricultural industry? If so, how has it helped your enterprise?

- Since the beginning of the formation of the pig complex, all our projects have been subsidized at the level of both the federation and the region. We participate in preferential lending programs at a reduced interest rate, for example, this year we received 1.1 billion rubles. The Sverdlovsk Region also confirmed its commitments to postpone payments on preferential loans for a year.

— What tasks does the company set for itself this year?

“First of all, we need to maintain production figures at the level of last year. We will increase the volume of our raw material base through the production of mixed fodder, as well as the development of crop production, this will allow us to avoid an increase in the cost of pork and, as a result, the final prices for Sibagro products. But most importantly, we will continue to work in the field of charity. Our company is actively involved in the financing of social events. Last year, 29.5 million rubles were allocated for these purposes, and 1.5 million rubles for the development of rural areas. These funds were used to equip children's and sports grounds, to reconstruct village houses of culture and much more. Personally, I believe that the duty of any entrepreneur is to think not only about corporate benefits, but also about the country, region, people, who live here. And the main source of replenishment of the budgets of all levels are primarily tax deductions. Over the past five years alone, the amount of taxes that the company has paid to the budgets and non-budgetary funds has exceeded 1.5 billion rubles.