Onken to build Russian plant

RUSSIA/GERMANY – German yogurt producer Onken has announced plans to open a yogurt factory in Belgorod, Russia, later this year.

Onken, which has been in Russia since 1995, will work with its Russian distribution partner Biomiks on the project. Onken will mainly finance the 55 million euro project.

Milk to supply the plant will come from Russia. Products will be sold throughout Russia and will be exported to Ukraine.

Although Russian yogurt consumption has been on the up in recent years, it still lags behind European levels. Russians consume an average of 1.1 to 1.5 kg of yogurt per year, compared with figures of 12 kg in Germany and 17 kg in France.