Conference programmes aim to boost Russian agribusiness

VIV Russia has announced details of the conference programmes, to be held from Tuesday 21 until Thursday 23 May at the Crocus Exhibition Centre in Moscow. Guus van Ham, VIV Russia project manager  intends to provide an all-in format that will boost the development of the agri-food business in Russia through the parallel programme. “Developments on the Russian market are taking place incredibly fast, and thanks to our partners and specialists we can share all the necessary knowledge with the industry in this country,” states Van Ham.

One of the components of the main conference on 21 May (in conference hall C) is the finalised strategic outlook for the Russian meat industry towards 2020, entitled‘Shaping the industry for the next stage’. This study will be presented  immediately after the official opening by Nan-Dirk Mulder from Rabobank Food & Agri-business Research. This presentation will be followed by a lecture from Shagaida Nataliya Ivanovna, director of the centre of agri-food policy  of the Russian Academy for national economy and public policy, outlining the current status and future challenges facing the Russian agri-food industry. In Russia there is great interest for food safety, animal health, advanced food technology and how to safeguard these processes. Arseniy Poyarkov, managing partner of insurance broker TOP TIME, will speak on ‘Insurance in the Russian Agrifood business: the world practice and Russian reality’.

Food Safety
The afternoon session offers a choice of various subjects that will all compete for the attention of conference visitors. The programme offers in succession ‘Food safety in the Russian agri-food industry’ and ‘Modern technologies for refrigeration, processing and storage of raw materials and food products’.
 

The Dutch Poultry Centre (DPC) – a collective of around 70 suppliers active in the poultry chain – will then present the proven approach that has secured a leading role for the Dutch poultry sector on the global stage. During this dedicated poultry conference (in conference hall F), Irena Tutert- Mikhailova of DPC will introduce a number of specialists in the areas of breeding, transport, animal nutrition, animal health, slaughtering and processing poultry meat. Huge interest is expected from the Russian Poultry Union.

National Union of Swine Breeders
During the afternoon programme of VIV Russia on 21 May, the National Union of Swine Breeders will hold its national annual general meeting.

The central theme for the entire afternoon in conference hall G will be health in the poultry sector. Rosselhoznadzor (the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance in Russia) and Avivak will be organising the Animal Health Conference (Poultry).  The first day of VIV Russia will be concluded with a reception organised by the Dutch Embassy to mark the celebration of 400 years of friendship between Russia and the Netherlands.

Turkeys, Poultry Outlooks and CropTech-FeedTech Conference   

On 22 May, the second day of VIV Russia, the focus will be on the turkey sector. In conference hall C, the morning session is a debate on ‘Key aspects of modern turkey operations’. Industry experts will discuss the opportunities and perspectives for the implementation of modern turkey production and processing technologies in Russia. Guus van Ham : “We are still noticing undiminished interest in poultry in general, but within that segment there is striking growth in the turkey sector in particular. So we have organised a programme specifically for this production chain. 

According to figures from the Russian Poultry Union, Russia’s turkey output in 2013 amounted to 100,000 tons in live weight, while the market capacity is estimated at 400,000-500,000 tons a year.” The conference will be moderated by Albert Davleyev, vice-president of the International Poultry Development Program (IPDP) and president of AGRIFOOD Strategies.

In the afternoon the same venue will host the Poultry Outlooks programme of the World Poultry Science Association (Russian Branch). This seminar will offer valuable information on the latest advances in poultry science and technology and will advance the knowledge and understanding of this diverse industry. At the same time, the French livestock and meat sector will hold a French-Russian Agribusiness Seminar in hall G. This seminar will address topics such as feed ingredients, processing and packaging.

Visitors interested in animal feed production can pay a visit in the afternoon to the CropTech-FeedTech Conference Russia in hall D on the theme of ‘Digital Engineering in the Feed Manufacturing Industry – The debate’.  All the aspects of high-tech feed processing will be discussed in a series of presentations given by specialists. Roger Gilbert from Perendale Publishers will chair the panel discussions.

Animal Health
The third day, 23 May, is devoted to the Animal Health Conference under the auspices of Practivet. This will take up practically the whole day and is being held in conference hall C. The Asti Group and Rosselhoznadzor will meet the growing need for information about the organic sector in Russia by presenting a conference on ‘Organic and biodynamic agriculture, a real opportunity for the Russian market’ in hall F. Project Manager Guus van Ham: “Developments that may take years in other countries progress at enormous speed in certain Russian regions. The interest in sustainable production is making huge advances.” 

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English: Map showing Russia with the Russian flag. Русский: Флаг-карта России. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)