US agribusiness company Cargill has started construction of a new $200m sunflower oil crush facility in the Volgograd region of southern Russia.
Expected to be operational in time for the 2015 harvest, the facility will process up to 640,000 tons of sunflower seeds per year.
It will complement Cargill's network of oil crush plants worldwide and will serve the company's food and feed industry customers both in the Russian domestic market and across the world.
Cargill's grain and oilseeds business in Europe head Andreas Rickmers said, "We are pleased to make this investment as Russia is an important strategic market for us and we continue to see excellent potential in the country's agricultural sector."
"Our customers in the food and feed industry will benefit from this new reliable source of oil and protein meal," Rickmers added.
"This investment is in line with our strategy to focus on the growth and development of our offering to farmers in Russia. The new plant's capacity will ensure a local outlet for their crops."
"This is an important part of our total offering which includes a range of services, advice and financial tools. Our own success depends on the ability of farmers to run a thriving and prosperous business."
