MHP will cease the production of goose meat and foie gras at its Snyatynska poultry facility.
The Ukrainian poultry company announced its plans to divest of its facility in a press release on its website, published on July 31.
According to the release, the company decided the production of foie gras is not consistent with the company’s strategies and policies concerning animal welfare, or those related to environment and sustainability.
Operations at the MHP Snyatynska poultry farm will end by the beginning of September.
The assets of the farm, which represent less than a half percent of MHP Group’s total assets, are being offered for sale, the company stated.
Foie gras production, which has long been opposed by animal rights groups, is outlawed an many European countries. According to Wikipedia, such production is illegal in the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Turkey and the United Kingdom, as well as most provinces in Austria. Outside of Europe, it has been outlawed in India, Australia and Argentina.
Formerly known as Myronivsky Hliboproduct, MHP, according to the WATTAgNet Top Poultry Companies Database, is a leading meat producer in Ukraine whose poultry division holds more than 50 percent market share. Poultry accounts for a 80 percent of revenues for MHP, which owns the Nasha Riaba brand. According to the Poultry International Top Companies rankings, MHP slaughtered 312 million broilers in 2017. MHP, according to those rankings, is tied with Cherkizovo as the sixth largest poultry company in Europe.
In its most recent quarter, which ended March 31, 2019, MHP recorded a revenue of UAH$11.18 billion (US$436) million and a gross profit of UAH$2.08 billion (US$81 million). The company’s board on March 21 approved an interim dividend of UAH19.16 (US$0.75) per share, which collectively amounted to about UAH2.05 billion (US$80 million).
