In Yaroslavl region the participants of the cheese cluster do not have enough milk

At the end of June the regional government of Yaroslavl region announced that by the end of the year cheese cluster will have been created. Today, on 15 September, Deputy Chairman of the regional government Valery Kholodov spent first working meeting on the development of the cheese cluster in Yaroslavl region. It was attended by producers and processors of milk, employees of the Russian research Institute of butter and cheese making in Uglich, Yaroslavl state Institute of quality of raw materials and food products, farmers and specialists of the Department of agriculture and consumer market.

"The main problem is the lack of milk. One kilogram of cheese requires 10 liters of milk. But in our area there isn’t enough milk. Milk prices are kept high and producers sell it. They do not see sense to give it away for the production of cheese. Therefore, manufacturers asked what they would get if they sold their products to participants of the cheese cluster", — said the cheese maker Maria Koval.

The deficiency of large cheese producing plants is also on the way of cheese cluster. Mainly small enterprises are engaged in cheese-making. At the meeting there was raised the question about the training of specialists in universities and colleges of the city.

"I think that we should rely not only on our domestic knowledge, but also get enriched with the international experience of cheese production and its sale. It is necessary not only to be able to make a good product, but know what people need. Now the shelves are filled with similar cheeses, but people are reluctant to buy them," — said Maria Koval to the correspondent of IA REGNUM.

During the meeting the participants discussed issues related to further development of the cheese cluster and the possibility of investment in development of raw material base (cattle breeding) by one of the largest potential participants of the cheese cluster JSC "Molvest". There were also discussed issues of state support of dairy cattle breeding and the implementation of major investment projects. Potential participants of the cheese cluster and the Government of Yaroslavl region agreed on the preparation of projects that might be interesting for the cheese cluster. The regional authorities promise to support the provision of a number of investment platforms for the development of dairy cattle breeding.

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