Since 2005, the agricultural holding Miratorg has turned from an importer of Dutch meat into a practically monopolist for the production of pork in Russia — not without the help of aggressive expansion into the regions and multi-billion state subsidies. However, it seems, instead of civilized meat production by farms, the state raised a monster, the collapse of which will lead to the collapse of the entire agriculture of the country. And this should not be excluded.

The owners of the agricultural holding Miratorg are twin brothers Linnika Victor and Alexander. The official president of the holding is Victor Linnik. The one that recently initiated a proposal to “strengthen control over baggage and hand luggage at the border and increase responsibility for the illegal import of products of animal origin.” That is, to completely ban the passage of hamon and parmesan across the border, including for personal use.

In an interview with Forbes, Victor Linnik explained his initiative in the following way: “I never imported: jamon should be eaten in Spain, bresaolu in Italy, and Parmesan in France. If I need something in Russia, I go and buy local products. ” Well, his legendary dictum, angered many: “The public needs to think about the development of their own country, and not about Hamon and Parmesan, which we do all the time. Out of nothing, a tantrum was rolled up, balabols. ”

It is strange to hear these words from the owner of a company that started a business with imports of meat from Holland and Brazil. To simplify work, 2 years after opening a business (in 1997), Linnik's company established a branch in the Kaliningrad fishing port, through which it imported meat into the country. So they worked for about 10 years.

The success story for the state account

The success story of Miratorg began in 2005 with the purchase of a portion of the shares of two pig complexes of BelgoFrance in the Belgorod Region. So the importer began to turn into a monopolist for the production of meat in Russia. After Belgorod, the company becomes a co-founder of a farm in the Kaliningrad region. A little later, Linniki went to Bryansk.

Since 2008, Miratorgu has been fortunate enough to integrate into the state program for the development of agriculture. And, using his status, he confidently walked around the country. In the regions, the agroholding often received land in temporary non-repayable property by order of the government, signed by Dmitry Medvedev.

According to the service for checking counterparties "Kontur. Focus" LLC "APH" Miratorg "is the founder of 36 operating organizations in eight regions of the country. Especially the Linnik brothers swung in the Kursk region - their company operates in 13 districts of the region. It includes the Pristensky pig farm, the Blagodatskaya AF, the Pristen grain company, the Oboyan grain company, the Vozrozhdenie enterprise, the Fatezhskaya yagnyatina LLC and the Miratorg-Kursk LLC. Not far from Kursk, Miratorg is building the largest in Europe meat packing plant with a capacity of 4.5 million pigs, or 400 thousand tons of meat in slaughter weight. Miratorg is building 7 pig farms in two more districts of the Kursk region.

According to Miratorg statistics, from 2009 to 2017 over 17 billion rubles were invested in the agro-industrial complex of the Kursk Region. However, it should be clarified that the Linnik brothers use mainly state money.

Since 2015, due to the sanctions on the import of imported meat to Russia, Miratorg has become a strategic enterprise. These regalia allow companies with Cypriot roots to receive soft loans from Vnesheconombank.

The Russian budget sponsors domestic enterprises of the agro-industrial complex through subsidies and subsidies. In Russia, there are no restrictions on subsidizing a certain APH. Using subsidiaries opened in different regions, agricultural holdings can also receive regional subsidies. For example, in the same Bryansk region in 2016, the Bryansk Meat Company received 98% of all subsidies allocated to the region from the federal budget for the development of agriculture. What did the farmer local farmers think?

Only one “daughter” of “Miratorg” in one year received subsidized loans of 33.6 billion rubles. But the more branches - the more credit lines. That is, since 2005, the subsidies received by Miratorg can amount to hundreds of billions of rubles. It turns out that instead of supporting competition and meat production by farms, the state raised a monopolistic monster, the collapse of which will lead to the collapse of the entire agriculture of the country. But this scenario is quite possible.

Where is the profit?

In 2017, Miratorg produced 415 thousand tons of pork, 114 thousand tons of poultry meat and 82 thousand tons of beef. Last year the numbers were about the same. Agroholding is the main supplier of meat for huge fast food chains like McDonalds and BurgerKing. He develops his cafes and even launched a network of supermarkets.

According to data from open sources, in 2016, Miratorg's profit decreased 5 times and amounted to only 5 billion rubles. Things were no better in the following years. And this, by the way, with multibillion-dollar subsidies from the federal budget. It seems that the scheme is suspiciously similar not to the support of the country's agriculture, but to the possible withdrawal of budget funds from Russia to Cyprus offshores?

It is known that the accounts and founders' shares of the Linnik brothers agricultural holding are located outside of Russia. 100% of Miratorg shares are controlled by Cyprus offshore companies: Agromir LLC (despite the Russian abbreviation, the company is registered in Nicosia) and Saudeid Enterprises Ltd. You can talk about the development of your own country as you like, but it would also be good to pay taxes in Russian jurisdiction.

For jamon on the personal Gulf Stream

In the meantime, Viktor Vyacheslavovich Linnik thinks about Russia, only in 2018, the enterprises of his agricultural holding received dozens of fines from the Rospotrebnadzor: for staphylococcus bacteria in products, for using quarantine food (animals are fed with prohibited products, and then this meat falls to you on the table). And also for unsanitary conditions and storage of waste next to the finished products.

And last year, Roskontrol found antibiotics, dangerous bacteria and traces of salt injections in the thighs of Miratorg's chickens. Last kolyat to increase the weight of products.

On the Roskontrol website you can find information about several Miratorg product names that are not recommended for purchase. In particular, homemade meatballs and cheese nuggets are considered insufficient quality. Violations associated with contamination of products by microbes, with a mismatch of composition, the presence of antimicrobial chemicals.

Whether the Linnik brothers eat their products stuffed with antibiotics and dangerous bacteria is a big question. Unlike most Russians, the Miratorg owner does not need to import jamon and parmesan: “under steam” he always has a personal Gulfstream GIV-X G450 (2014 edition).

Acquired in January 2017 for $ 20 million jet, according to the information of the online publication “Baza”, is issued to the company V & A AERO INC (USA, Delaware). An interesting coincidence: V and A in the name of the company coincides with the names of the owners of Miratorg (Victor and Alexander Linnik).

Last year alone, the board took off 100 times. The annual maintenance of a business jet costs its owners $ 3-5 million. But the brothers can afford to go "for ham, to Spain, for bresaola to Italy, for Parmesan - to France." In this situation, bringing overseas products to Russia is indeed a moveton.