“We believe that the food sector in Lithuania has great prospects, so we are actively investing in this area,” said Mindaugas Bareišis, head of Litagros Group.
According to him, Joniškio grūdai has been operating in the poultry business since 2018, when the 10-farm broiler breeding complex Šilų ūkis operating in the Panevėžys district began operations.
According to Reda Siaurusaitienė, head of Joniškio grūdai, Sūduvos ūkis plans to grow 7 thousand of tons per year of turkey.
“Turkey is considered one of the healthiest meats, it rarely causes allergies, it is easy to digest, it has little cholesterol, but it is rich in zinc, iron, phosphorus, amino acids and proteins, practically it replaces red meat. Chicken is extremely lean meat, it has an excellent balance of proteins and, like turkey, contains a lot of amino acids. Due to these characteristics, the consumption of poultry meat in global markets is constantly growing, so we continue to foresee business development in this segment,” said Siaurusaitienė.
The transaction, as well as the development of Šilų ūkis in 2018, was financed by SEB bank. According to Vilius Juzikis, SEB bank board member and head of the Business Banking Service, large and efficient growers are extremely important for Lithuanian processors who want to compete with the supply of poultry from neighbouring Poland, as well as for domestic consumers who choose meat grown in Lithuania.
“We value the long-term cooperation with the Litagra business group and are sincerely happy to be the company’s financial partner. Therefore, if the group decides to enter the business of growing turkeys and expand feed production, we can contribute to its ambitious investment plans, help it grow and increase the competitiveness of its operations,” says Juzikis. The largest shareholders of Litagra are the company’s founder Gintaras Kateiva and the investment and insurance group Invalda INVL.
